With their endless expanses of snow, blue ice, and crystal clear surfaces, glaciers are an incredibly breathtaking natural wonder. If you’re looking for a less poetic way to describe them, these astonishing bodies of icy mass are essentially large bodies of ice formed over centuries, when the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (melting and sublimation).
A combination of weight and gravity cause the glacier to deform and move, also creating crevasses, seracs, and other distinguishing features. At least 48 countries worldwide are said to contain glaciers, here are five of the most impressive ones.
Stunning Glaciers: Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan
Source: Wikimedia Commons
At 62 kilometers long, the Baltoro Glacier is one of the largest glaciers outside the polar regions (the frigid zones surrounding the Earth’s poles). The melting water from the glacier creates the area’s Shigar river.
Source: Summit Post
The Baltoro Glacier is located next to another fantastic display of frigidity, the Godwin-Austen Glacier. And to add to Baltoro’s already impressive resume, the world’s second largest mountain, K2 (8611 meters high), can be found where the two monumental glaciers intersect.
Jostedalsbreen Glacier, Norway
Source: Jeremy Cook
The Jostedalsbreen Glacier, or Jostedal Glacier, is located in southern Norway and boasts the title of the largest glacier in continental Europe. 60 kilometers in length, Jostedal is 600 meters (almost two-fifths of a mile) at its thickest point.
Source: Flickr
Like many glaciers worldwide, Jostedalsbreen Glacier has been melting more rapidly in recent years. In 2006, one glacier arm melted an incredible 50 meters within a matter of months. Due to the melting, ice climbing, a popular attraction in the area, has been halted.
Source: Pocket Burgers
Stunning Glaciers: Spencer Glacier, United States
Source: Antarctica Gov.
Alaska’s Spencer Glacier is one of the most serene glaciers in all of America. Located south of the Portage Valley and the Turnagain Arm in the Kenai Mountains, there are no roads leading to the massive expanse of ice. To get there, one must take the Alaska Railroad.
In the United States, glaciers can be found in only nine states, all of which are located in the Rocky Mountains and westward. At Spencer Glacier, visitors can take a break from hiking by rafting through the pristine lake that meanders around huge icebergs.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Argentina
Source: Travel Beautiful Place
The Perito Moreno Glacier is one of Argentina’s most popular tourist attractions. Unlike most glaciers in this region, the Perito Moreno Glacier continues to grow despite the destructive effects of global warming. Every four to five years, enormous chunks of ice break off into Lake Argentino. This process is called calving, and can be seen in this video:
Source: 10 Wallpaper
The stunning Perito Moreno Glacier was named after Francisco Moreno, who played a role in defending Argentina during the international border dispute with Chile and also studied in the area in the 1800s. The glacier is more than 30 kilometers long, and the third largest source of fresh water worldwide.
Source: Photo Extract
Antarctica’s Glaciers
Source: Wallpapers AC
It’s not surprising that many of the most spectacular glaciers are located on Antarctica. Comprising multiple types of glacier—from slow-moving, cold-based glaciers frozen to their beds to ice streams to grounded or floating ice and ice sheets—it’s hard to pick one that stands out as the most beautiful.
Source: Antarctica
