Receeding of the Mighty Taku Glacier

The mighty Taku Glacier has been our backyard champion glacier, remnants of an Ice Age for tens of thousands of years. For decades, we have showcased glaciers branching from the Juneau Icefield hidden behind the mountains of the Tongass National Forest.  The birdseye view from our classic DeHavilland Otter fleet brings perspective of nature’s majesty and the wonder of seeing the largest glacier on them all; the Taku Glacier.

There are more than 30 glaciers that stretch from the Juneau Icefield, most notably the Mendenhall Glacier with a visitor center. However the Taku Glacier has been the largest, running more than 5 miles wide at it’s face near the Taku River and measures 4,860 feet thick, making it the thickest alpine glacier in the world. At one time the glacier blocked the river, giving this region it’s name- Taku, which roughly translates to “geese flying upriver”. It is thought a large lake beyond the lodge was the destination of these geese.

For decades, while many glaciers surrounding us have retreated into the core of the Icefield, the Taku glacier was always the one advancing glacier. It was the one glacier that defied climate impact and showed variability in the glaciers around the world. Over forty years of data has shown that Taku Glacier was gaining mass and advancing about a foot per year[1].  Progressively the advancement slowed, and from 2013-2018 the glacier stopped any movement entirely. With recording breaking summer temperatures throughout Alaska in 2018, data showed the glacier experienced incredible mass loss and the highest snow line in it’s history. Thus the retreat of the mighty Taku begins.

This data comes from the notable Juneau Icefield Research Program, having recorded the history of the Juneau Icefield for more than 70 years. Known as JIRP, the program leads the longest study of any western glacier. According to Mauri Pelto, a glaciologist who has studied the icefield for three decades, shares that the most shocking observation about the Taku is the rate of which retreat has begun. Pelto explains that, “Taku was predicted to continue advancing for the rest of century. Not only have these signs of retreat arrived about 80 years ahead of schedule, but they also snuff a symbolic flicker of hope in the race to understand climate change.” Taku is the last alpine glacier Pelto has studied (of 250) to retreat.

This research has been shared by NASA, the journal Remote Sensing and the Alaska Science Center. The images shared are from NASA Earth Observatory, which shows the beginning of change from 2014 and 2019. To learn more about the glaciers of the Juneau Icefield and the primary research vessel Juneau Icefield Research Program, please visit: juneauicefield.org

[1] https://www.livescience.com/taku-glacier-sudden-retreat.html