Ultramarine Glacier, Alaska No Longer Has Accumulation Zone

Ultramarine Glacier in 1986 and 2026 Landsat image, red arrow 1986 terminus and yellow arrow 2026 terminus. The glacier has retreated 2.2 km and in 2026 has no retaied snow cover. (NJ=Nellie Juan Glacier) Ultramarine Glacier is an outlet glacier of the Sargent Icefield. The terminus extends northwest from the glacier and icefield. To the south is Princeton Glacier and the north is Nellie Juan Glacier. The glacier terminus has been in an expanding proglacial lake, but appers to be retreating from this lake. The glacier has a low elevation accumulaiton between 300 and 525 m, with a terminus tongue extending down to 100 m. The glacier has retreated 2.2 km since 1986, similar to the 2.8 km retreat of Nellie Juan Glacier. In 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2026 the glacier lost all of its snow cover. The firn layers are evident in the Landsat image above and the Sentinel images below, these layers are not visible when snow cover exists. The ring pattern marks the ice divides where…