Great Nunatak is a elevation summit located west of Valdez in the

Chugach Mountains The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain ...

of the U.S. state of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

. This remote mountain is situated near the terminus of the Columbia Glacier, southeast of

Columbia Peak Columbia Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. Columbia Peak rises to . Together with Monte Cristo Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake. Cl ...

, on land managed by

Chugach National Forest The Chugach National Forest is a United States National Forest in south central Alaska. Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve. The Ch ...

. This 2.2-mile long feature has a secondary summit, elevation 3,412 ft. Great Nunatak traces its name to

Grove Karl Gilbert Grove Karl Gilbert (May 6, 1843 – May 1, 1918), known by the abbreviated name G. K. Gilbert in academic literature, was an American geologist. Biography Gilbert was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the University of Rochester. D ...

, a geologist with the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

who was part of the 1899 Harriman Alaska expedition that explored this area. He believed it to be the largest

nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit ''nunataq'') is the summit or ridge of a mountain that protrudes from an ice field or glacier that otherwise covers most of the mountain or ridge. They are also called glacial islands. Examples are natural pyramidal peaks. ...

in Alaska when he casually referred to it as ''"the great nunatak"'' in a 1902 publication. The mountain's name was officially adopted in 1975 by the

U.S. Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal governm ...

. While the name remains, its status as a nunatak is obsolete because glacier lobes that once barely touched, now no longer completely encircle this landform as the Columbia Glacier retreats, and tidewater of Columbia Bay replaces the ice on the north and west aspects of the mountain.Pfeffer, W. Tad "''The Opening of a New Landscape: Columbia Glacier at Mid-Retreat''", 2007,

Climate

Based on the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

, Great Nunatak is located in a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Weather systems coming off the Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains ( orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the Columbia Glacier near this mountain. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.

References

{{reflist

Gallery

File:Great Nunatak north aspect.jpg, North aspect in 2006 File:Columbia Bay (Alaska) by Sentinel-2.jpg, Satellite view in 2018 showing tidewater on the north and west sides of Great Nunatak (in bullseye) File:Columbia Glacier, Valley Glacier, August 25, 1969 (GLACIERS 1047).jpg, Great Nunatak in 1969 Columbia Glacier and Great Nunatak.jpg, Great Nunatak in lower half of frame surrounded by Columbia Glacier in 1966 File:Columbia Peak bullseye.jpg, Great Nunatak in lower right corner, 1993. (

centered)

External links

National Weather Service Forecast
Mountains of Alaska Landforms of Chugach Census Area, Alaska North American 1000 m summits

Climate

See also

References

Gallery

External links