Miles Glacier, Alaska Retreat-Van Cleve Lake Outburst 2026

Miles Glacier and Van Cleve glacier lake (VC) near its maximum size on June 19th and after drainage on July 9th in Sentinel images. Glacier margin black dots. Miles Glacier terminates in an embayment on the east side of the Copper River, Alaska. A secondary terminus on the north side of the main glacier has long impounded a glacial lake that periodically drains. As miles has retreated over the last 40 years the maximum size of the glacial dammed lake has diminished, prior to its drainage. In 1987 the glacier extended onto an outwash plain directly adjacent to the Copper River, the lake reached a maximum size of 12 km2 . From 2016 to 2019 the lake drained each summer reaching a maximum average size of 5.5 km2 (Rick et al 2023). This was noted as a shrinking ice dammed lake by Field et al (2021). Miles Glacier and Van Cleve glacial lake filling in June 2026 in Landsat images. Glacier margin black dots. By 2021 the glacier had retreated 3.5 km since 1987. From 2021-2026 the lake reaches…