Agassiz Glacier, Valley glacier in the Saint Elias Mountains, Alaska, United States
Agassiz Glacier is a valley glacier in the Saint Elias Mountains that spans a considerable distance and merges with the neighboring Libbey Glacier. This junction creates a glacier system that eventually flows into the larger Malaspina glacier system.
The glacier was named in 1886 during a New York Times expedition to honor Swiss-American naturalist Louis Agassiz. This early exploration first documented the geographic features of this remote mountain region.
Scientists regularly study the glacier's retreat patterns to understand climate changes and their effects on North American ice formations.
The glacier is remote and located high in the mountains, so visiting requires specialized equipment and good physical preparation. Visitors should expect extreme weather conditions and harsh, snow-covered terrain.
The glacier's 25-kilometre length is fed by the Newton Glacier, and its three-kilometre-wide lobe first flows southwest before turning southeast. From the west the Libbey Glacier joins it, and the combined ice merges into the Malaspina Glacier, which drains to the Gulf of Alaska.
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