Information About

West Nunatak Glacier

Quick Facts

Open in The Map West Nunatak Glacier on The Map

Location

59 ° 41' 17.999" N,
138 ° 48' 51.001" W

Region

Yakutat

Nearest City

Yakutat

Length

16 mi (25.75 km)

Elevation

2192 ft (668.12 m)

West Nunatak Glacier in Detail.

About

In Saint Elias Mountains, flows NW terminating to its 1961 terminus 1 mi S of Nunatak Fiord, 32 mi NE of Yakutat, St. Elias Mountains.

History

Named by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 1961. Originally this glacier was part of Nunatak Glacier, named in 1891 by Russel (1862, p. 86), because it then appeared to be a single glacier with a nunatak, or rock island, projecting through the ice near its terminus. Since then the glacier has retreated seven miles, completely uncovering the nunatak. The glacier now consists of two arms. The arm to the southwest is West Nunatak Glacier, the other arm is East Nunatak Glacier.