LeConte Glacier

{{Short description|Alaskan Glacier}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox glacier | name = LeConte Glacier | image = Le Conte glacier.jpg | caption = LeConte Glacier terminus at [[LeConte Bay]] | type = | location = [[Petersburg Borough, Alaska]], U.S. | coordinates = {{Coord|56|56|46|N|132|19|46|W|scale:250000|display=it}} | coordinates_ref = <ref>[https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/11293752 Relation: LeConte Glacier (11293752)] [[OpenStreetMap]]</ref> | area = | length = | thickness = | terminus = | status = | map = Alaska | label_position = top | map_caption = | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 10 | mapframe-wikidata = yes }} '''LeConte Glacier''' is a {{convert|21|mi|km|adj=on}} long and {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on}} wide [[glacier]] in [[Petersburg Borough, Alaska|Petersburg Borough]], [[Alaska]], United States. It flows southwest to the head of [[LeConte Bay]]. It was named in 1887 by [[U.S. Navy]] Lieutenant-Commander [[Charles Mitchell Thomas|Charles M. Thomas]] in honor of a California geologist [[Joseph LeConte]]. According to [[John Muir]]'s book about indigenous peoples of the area, the [[Tlingits]] called it “Huti [sic]” which he claimed derived from a mythical bird that produced sounds of thunder when it flapped its wings.<ref>Muir, John.''The Cruise of the Corwin. 1917. pg. 238''</ref>

Since its discovery, the glacier has retreated nearly {{convert|2.5|mi|km}}, although it is considered to be in a stable position today [http://www.fs.fed.us/r10/tongass/forest_facts/resources/geology/stikineicefields.htm]. The glacier is known for its "shooter" [[iceberg]]s which calve off underneath the water (LeConte Bay is {{convert|810|ft|m}} deep) and shoot out of the water due to their buoyancy. In 2019 acoustic observations found that the submarine part of LeConte Glacier melts significantly faster than previously predicted by scientific theory.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/new-observations-find-alaskan-glacier-melt-rates-significantly-higher-predicted-theory|title=New observations find Alaskan glacier melt rates significantly higher than predicted by theory|date=2019-07-25|website=Life at OSU|access-date=2019-08-15}}</ref>

Being south of the [[57th parallel north]], LeConte Glacier is the southernmost tidewater glacier of the [[Northern Hemisphere]].

The glacier is a popular tourist destination, with operators from nearby [[Petersburg, Alaska|Petersburg]] and [[Wrangell, Alaska|Wrangell]] running excursions to its [[Ice calving|calving]] face. Students from [[Petersburg High School (Alaska)|Petersburg High School]] visiting also regularly to monitor its historical retreat.

Also of the same namesake and part of the [[Alaska Marine Highway System|Alaska Marine Highway]] is the ferry [[M/V LeConte|M/V ''LeConte'']].

==See also== * [[List of glaciers]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leconte Glacier}} [[Category:Glaciers of Alaska]] [[Category:Glaciers of Petersburg Borough, Alaska]]