Picture of the day

The Malaspina Glacier is the largest piedmont glacier in the world, situated at the head of the Alaska Panhandle in the United States. It is about 65 kilometers (40 mi) wide and 45 kilometers (28 mi) long, with an area of 3,900 km² (1,500 sq mi). The glacier is up to 600 meters (2,000 ft) thick in places, with the elevation of its bottom being estimated to be up to 300 meters (980 ft) below sea level. This three-dimensional rendered panoramic map shows the Malaspina Glacier and surrounding area in 2021 – the glacier is at the front and center, with its concentric rings of ice, rubble and meltwater visible. The map was created using a digital elevation model with height samples every 22.5 metres (74 ft) based on United States and Canadian government data. The natural colors represent water, snow and ice, barren land, low vegetation, broadleaf forest, needleleaf forest, and wetland.Panoramic map credit: Tom Patterson