Glaciers are immense bodies of ice that constantly collapse under their own weight and hence take on different forms and shapes. They were formed in a process of many years, more often than not multiple centuries. In this article, you’ll be able to discover some of the most astounding glaciers in the world , so let’s get to it!
Athabasca Glacier – Canada
The Athabasca Glacier is one of the main glacier terminus areas of the Columbia Icefield, the largest icefield in North America situated in the Canadian Rockies in the Canadian province of Alberta. It’s one of the smaller glaciers as it only has a length of 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) and it’s retreating at a pace of about 5 meters (16 feet) per year. Regardless, it offers spectacular views from the nearby road and is a popular tourist attraction in the region.
Perito Moreno Glacier – Argentina
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of the most famous glaciers in Argentina and is located in the Andes Mountains in the southwest Santa Cruz Province of the country. It’s fed by the third-largest reserve of fresh water on the planet called the Southern Patagonian Ice Field. The glacier has a total length of 30 kilometers (19 miles) and covers an area of about 250 square kilometers (97 square miles). The end of the glacier is quite spectacular as it empties into “Lago Argentina,” one of the most fascinating lakes in Argentina.
Furtwängler Glacier – Tanzania
Furtwängler Glacier is a glacier which is situated near the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa located in Tanzania. It’s the final remnant of a much larger ice cap as only 15% of the ice remains today since the early 20th century. The future doesn’t look too good for this remarkable piece of nature as it’s estimated that it’s very unlikely that any ice will remain here after the year 2060. Today, less than 11,000 square meters (120,000 square feet) of ice remains.
Baltoro Glacier – Pakistan
The Baltoro Glacier is one of the most famous glaciers in the world as it’s situated in one of the highest mountain ranges on the planet, the Karakoram Range in the Himalayas. This range is home to some of the highest peaks in the world, including the second-highest mountain K2. It’s also one of the longest glaciers in the world outside of the Polar regions with a length of 63 kilometers (39 miles). Multiple smaller glaciers feed it, including the Godwin Austen Glacier which flows down K2 in a southward direction.
Pasterze Glacier – Austria
The Pasterze Glacier is the longest in Austria with a length of 8.4 kilometers (5.2 miles). This makes it also the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, even though it’s retreating at a pace of 10 meters (33 feet) per year. The glacier is situated in a section of the Alps referred to as the “Glockner Group,” and directly below the highest mountain in Austria, the “Grossglockner.” This provides one of the most fascinating landscapes on the planet!
Fox Glacier – New Zealand
Fox Glacier, also known as “Te Moeka o Tuawe,” is an enormous temperate maritime glacier on the West Coast of the South Island in New Zealand. It’s situated in the Westland Tai Poutini National Park and has a total length of about 13 kilometers (8.1 miles). One of the most remarkable facts about the Fox Glacier is that it’s one of the easiest glaciers in the world to visit as it literally ends just 300 meters (984 feet) above sea level. This makes the glacier one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Zealand.
Aletsch Glacier – Switzerland
The Aletsch Glacier is the most fascinating in the Alps, and also the longest one. It has a total length of about 23 kilometers (14 miles) and is situated in the eastern Bernese Alps in the Valois Canton in Switzerland. Even though it’s still the longest glacier in the Alps today, it’s retreating quickly and has lost well over 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles) of its length since the 1980s, and well over 300 meters (980 feet) of its thickness as well.
