LeConte Glacier
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LeConte Glacier is a 21-mile-long (34 km) and one-mile-wide (1.6 km) glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. It flows southwest to the head of LeConte Bay, and was discovered in 1887 by U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. C. M. Thomas, who named it for Joseph LeConte.
Since its discovery, the glacier has retreated nearly 2.5 miles (4 km), although it is considered to be in a stable position today[1]. The glacier is known for its "shooter" icebergs which calve off underneath the water (LeConte Bay is 810 feet [247 m] deep) and shoot out of the water due to their buoyancy[2].
LeConte Glacier is the southernmost tidewater glacier on the Pacific Coast.
The glacier is a popular tourist destination, with operators from nearby Petersburg and Wrangell running excursions to its calving face. Students from Petersburg High School visiting also regularly to monitor its historical retreat.
It is the namesake of the Alaska Marine Highway ferry M/V LeConte.
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