Last Glacial MaximumThe Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), also referred to as the Last Glacial Coldest Period, was the most recent time during the Last Glacial Period where ice sheets were at their greatest extent between 26,000 and 20,000 years ago. Ice sheets covered much of Northern North America, Northern Europe, and Asia and profoundly affected Earth's climate by causing a major expansion of deserts, along with a large drop in sea levels.
Ice sheetLarge mass of glacial iceOne of Earth's two ice sheets: The Antarctic ice sheet covers about 98% of the Antarcticcontinent and is the largest single mass of ice on Earth. It has an average thickness of over 2 kilometers.In glaciology, an ice sheet, also known as a continental glacier, is a mass of glacialice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km (19,000 sq mi). The two current ice sheets are the Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet.
Alaska PeninsulaThe Alaska Peninsula (also called the Aleut Peninsula or the Aleutian Peninsula, Aleut: Alaxsxix̂; Sugpiaq: Aluuwiq, Al'uwiq) extends about 497 mi (800 km) to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea.
Southeast Alaska57°34′48″N135°29′14″W / 57.58000°N 135.48722°W / 57.58000; -135.48722Southeast Alaska, often abbreviated to southeast or southeastern, and sometimes called the Alaska(n) panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, bordered to the east and north by the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia (and a small part of Yukon).
Washington (state)Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the national capital; both are named after George Washington, a U.S. Founding Father and the first U.S. president. Washington borders the Pacific Ocean to the west, Oregon to the south, and Idaho to the east; it shares an international border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.
Olympia, WashingtonCapital city of Washington, United StatesState capital city in Washington, United StatesOlympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. The population was 55,605 at the 2020 census, while the Olympia metropolitan statistical area has an estimated 300,000 residents. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County and anchors the South Puget Sound region of western Washington, 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Seattle.
Continental shelfA continental shelf is a portion of a continent that is submerged under an area of relatively shallow water, known as a shelf sea. Much of these shelves were exposed by drops in sea level during glacial periods. The shelf surrounding an island is known as an "insular shelf."
North AmericaNorth America is a continent in the Northern and Western hemispheres. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean. North America covers an area of around 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,540,000 square miles), representing approximately 16.5% of Earth's land area and 4.8% of its total surface area.
British ColumbiaProvince of CanadaProvince in CanadaBritish Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, forests, lakes, mountains, inland deserts, and grassy plains.
YukonYukon (, Canadian French: [jukõ]) is a territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada's westernmost and smallest territory by land area. As of the 2026 third quarter estimates Yukon had a population of 50,356, the most of the territories. Whitehorse, the territorial capital, is the largest city in northern Canada.
Strait of Juan de FucaThe Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about 96 miles (83 nmi; 154 km) long that is the Salish Sea's main outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre of the Strait.
Southcentral AlaskaSouthcentral Alaska, also known as the Gulf Coast Region, is the portion of the U.S. state of Alaska consisting of the shorelines and uplands of the central Gulf of Alaska. More than half of the state's entire population lives in this region, concentrated in and around the city of Anchorage. The region is Alaska’s best-connected region, with the Port of Anchorage, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and the Alaska Railroad servicing the area.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.