The Knik Glacier ( Dena'ina: ''Skitnu Łi'a'') is an ice field located east of Anchorage, Alaska on the northern end of 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 Turnagai ...

. The ice field averages over long and over across, making it one of the largest glaciers in

southcentral Alaska Southcentral Alaska (russian: Юго-Центральная Аляска) is the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska consisting of the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska. Most of the population of the state lives in this reg ...

. Knik Glacier feeds the long Knik River which empties into the Knik Arm section of

Cook Inlet Cook Inlet ( tfn, Tikahtnu; Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding Anchorage. On its so ...

Lake George

Lake George , a glacial lake formed near the face of the glacier, received national recognition by the

National Natural Landmark The National Natural Landmarks (NNL) Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only national natural areas program that identifies and recognizes the best ...

(NNL) Program. Lake George was recognized because of a unique natural phenomenon called a "

jökulhlaup A jökulhlaup ( ) (literally "glacial run") is a type of glacial outburst flood. It is an Icelandic term that has been adopted in glaciological terminology in many languages. It originally referred to the well-known subglacial outburst flood ...

", an

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

ic term for

glacial lake outburst flood A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a type of outburst flood caused by the failure of a dam containing a glacial lake. An event similar to a GLOF, where a body of water contained by a glacier melts or overflows the glacier, is called a j� ...

. The breakup of this ice dam would send a violent wall of water, ice and debris down the river valley causing massive flooding and sometimes devastation to local settlers' properties. The jökulhlaup occurred annually until it ceased in 1967 due to glacial recession, thought to be associated with the massive

Good Friday earthquake The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27.

of 1964.

History

Early pioneers were said to hold a yearly lottery, gambling on the exact date when the jökulhlaup would break and flood the Knik River Valley. The flooding would often close vital transportation routes between Anchorage and the

Matanuska-Susitna Valley Matanuska-Susitna Valley () (known locally as the Mat-Su or The Valley) is an area in Southcentral Alaska south of the Alaska Range about north of Anchorage, Alaska. It is known for the world record sized cabbages and other vegetables displaye ...

Cinema

In 1991, Paramount Pictures used Knik Glacier to film a portion of '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country''. Knik Glacier was the setting for a scene in which Captain Kirk and Dr McCoy are rescued from the

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...

ice planet prison Rura Penthe. It is also featured as the backdrop for

Lauren Daigle Lauren Ashley Daigle () (born September 9, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter. After being signed to the label Centricity Music, she released her debut album, '' How Can It Be,'' in 2015. It reached No. 1 on ...

's video on her song

Rescue Rescue comprises responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or the urgent treatment of injuries after an accident or a dangerous situation. Tools used might include search and rescue dogs, mounted search and rescue ...

Tourism

The glacier is a tourist attraction, sharing its natural beauty with locals and visitors from around the world. With several tour companies operating in the area, visitors can view the glacier by air via a flightseeing company,

all-terrain vehicle An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a light utility vehicle (LUV), a quad bike, or simply a quad, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI); is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is stra ...

jetboat A jetboat is a boat propelled by a jet of water ejected from the back of the craft. Unlike a powerboat or motorboat that uses an external propeller in the water below or behind the boat, a jetboat draws the water from under the boat through ...

airboat An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. In early aviation history the term ''airboat ...

charter, or on a guided packrafting tour. The Knik Glacier and the beginning of the Knik River are managed under the Knik River Public Use Area (KRPUA) Management Plan. The KRPUA is a legislatively designated area managed by the State of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Division of Mining, Land, and Water, Southcentral Regional Office.

Helicopter crash

On the 27th of March 2021, a heli-skiing crash occurred in the south of the glacier, killing 5 of the 6 on board. Among the dead was the businessman entrepreneur Petr Kellner, who at the time of his death was the wealthiest person in the Czech Republic.

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20050427073936/http://www.anchorage.net/ Glaciers of Alaska Glaciers of Anchorage, Alaska Glaciers of Chugach Census Area, Alaska Glaciers of Unorganized Borough, Alaska National Natural Landmarks in Alaska {{ChugachAK-geo-stub