Some of the most studied glaciers in the world are found in Glacier Bay National Park located in southeastern Alaska. These expansive ice sheets cover approximately ten percent of the earthâs surface and hold eighty percent of the worldâs fresh water, ninety-nine percent of which can be found in Greenland and Antarctica. Due to gravityâs pull, glaciers shape and scour the landscape moving land and vegetation great distances as they slowly slide downward toward the sea. This glacial movement has created rich farmland, vast deposits of gravel and sand, and concentrated valuable metals, depending on where they glaciers have traveled. Glaciers also create deep valleys and fjords, like the kind seen in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. Laura Cheek was a national park ranger at Glacier Bay National Park in 1996 when this program was recorded. As part of her job, she boarded tour ships in Glacier Bay to discuss glaciers, what theyâre like and how theyâre formed.
Laura Cheek recommends âThe Island Within,â by Richard Nelson.
Originally Broadcast: August 14, 1996
Barry Vogel, Esq. is the host and producer. Ignacio Ayala is the assistant producer.
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