J is for Jade and the Juneau Icefield

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Jade is the official state gemstone of Alaska, and is found in large quantities in the state.

Jade Mountain, a 4500 foot mountain on the Seward Peninsula, is made almost entirely of jade. Supposedly when the sunlight is just right, the whole mountain turns a spectacular shade of jade green. The mountain is far from any of Alaska's major road systems, so pictures of it are hard to come by. I'd love to see it someday.

It seems that Alaska is a state of extremes, as my reading for the letter "J" took me from a mountain of jade to an ice field that covers 1,500 square miles. 

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Juneau Icefield, which is located north of the city of Juneau, is the source of more than 30 glaciers, including the Mendenhall.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The ice field is a popular tourist attraction, with helicopter tours taking visitors over the site.

Have you ever seen the Juneau Icefield? Or the "off the beaten path" Jade Mountain?

My A-Z theme of Alaska is inspired by my debut novel, Polar Night, which is set in the Alaskan Arctic. Click here for all the info on the book.

G is for Glaciers

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Alaska is the home of the two largest glaciers in North America, the Bering Glacier and the Malaspina Glacier, both of which are larger in area than the entire state of Delaware. The Bering Glacier is the longest glacier in the state and is more than 100 miles long.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

All told, there are an estimated 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, and glaciers cover three percent of the state's landscape. About 3/4 of all the fresh water in Alaska is glacial ice.

A few facts about glaciers:

1. Cracks on the surface of glaciers are called crevasses, and they can be more than 100 feet deep
2. Icebergs are formed when ice breaks off from glaciers, in a process called calving
3. Glaciers are constantly on the move, and they can sometimes surge to move as much as 300 feet at a time
4. Glaciers often appear blue in color because the density of the ice absorbs all the colors in the spectrum except blue. Blue is reflected by the ice. 

You can get a good idea of the size of glaciers from this picture taken in Glacier Bay. It's difficult to even see the cruise ship!

Source: Wikimedia Commons

I hope to someday see these glaciers with my own eyes. Have you ever seen glaciers in Alaska or elsewhere?

 My A-Z theme of Alaska is inspired by my debut novel, Polar Night, which is set in the Alaskan Arctic. Click here for all the info on the book.