Why is glacier ice blue? (2024)

Why is glacier ice blue? (1)

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Why is glacier ice blue? (2)

Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.

Learn more:USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

Related Content

  • FAQ
  • Multimedia
  • Publications
  • News

Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

link

Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

Learn More

How old is glacier ice?

The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years old The age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years old The age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old. Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100...

link

How old is glacier ice?

The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years old The age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years old The age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old. Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100...

Learn More

Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

link

Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

Learn More

Was all of Alaska covered by glaciers during the Pleistocene Ice Age?

No--most of interior Alaska, south of the Brooks Range and north of the Alaska Range, was a non-glaciated grassland refuge habitat for a number of plant and animal species during the maximum Pleistocene glaciation. This ice-free corridor also provided one route for humans to move into North America. Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

link

Was all of Alaska covered by glaciers during the Pleistocene Ice Age?

No--most of interior Alaska, south of the Brooks Range and north of the Alaska Range, was a non-glaciated grassland refuge habitat for a number of plant and animal species during the maximum Pleistocene glaciation. This ice-free corridor also provided one route for humans to move into North America. Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

Learn More

Do ice worms exist?

Yes, ice worms do, in fact, exist! They are small worms that live in glacial ice in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia; they have not been found in glaciers elsewhere. Contrary to stories and songs, they do not give glacier ice its blue color and they don't grow to lengths of 50 feet. These myths were made popular by poet Robert Service and the annual Cordova Iceworm Festival in...

link

Do ice worms exist?

Yes, ice worms do, in fact, exist! They are small worms that live in glacial ice in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia; they have not been found in glaciers elsewhere. Contrary to stories and songs, they do not give glacier ice its blue color and they don't grow to lengths of 50 feet. These myths were made popular by poet Robert Service and the annual Cordova Iceworm Festival in...

Learn More

Is glacier ice a type of rock?

Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H 2 O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is...

link

Is glacier ice a type of rock?

Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H 2 O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is...

Learn More

What is a glacier?

A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where: mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing point winter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snow temperatures...

link

What is a glacier?

A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where: mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing point winter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snow temperatures...

Learn More

Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park). Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away. Canada has glaciers in Alberta...

link

Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park). Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away. Canada has glaciers in Alberta...

Learn More

How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet. Learn more: USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and Icecaps National Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about Glaciers U.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

link

How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet. Learn more: USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and Icecaps National Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about Glaciers U.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

Learn More

Why is glacier ice blue? (12)

South Crillon Glacier

South Crillon Glacier

South Crillon Glacier

Periodic calving of ice from the snout of South Crillon Glacier.

Periodic calving of ice from the snout of South Crillon Glacier.

Why is glacier ice blue? (15)

Mapping the glacier's edge in Glacier National Park.

Mapping the glacier's edge in Glacier National Park.

Mapping the glacier's edge in Glacier National Park.

Mapping the glacier's edge in Glacier National Park.

Why is glacier ice blue? (18)

Blue Ice

Blue Ice

Blue Ice

Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.

Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.

Why is glacier ice blue? (24)

Surprise Glacier

Surprise Glacier

Surprise Glacier

Surprise Glacier (in background), Harriman Fiord, western Prince William Sound.

Surprise Glacier (in background), Harriman Fiord, western Prince William Sound.

Why is glacier ice blue? (27)

Coxe Glacier

Coxe Glacier

Coxe Glacier

Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.

Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.

Why is glacier ice blue? (30)

Barry Glacier

Barry Glacier

Barry Glacier

Barry Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.

Barry Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.

Why is glacier ice blue? (33)

Alaskan Glacier

Alaskan Glacier

Alaskan Glacier

Near Seward, Alaska

Why is glacier ice blue? (36)

Denali Fault: Canwell Glacier

Denali Fault: Canwell Glacier

Denali Fault: Canwell Glacier

Peter Haeussler prepares to measure the offset of a crevasse on the Canwell Glacier.

Peter Haeussler prepares to measure the offset of a crevasse on the Canwell Glacier.

Why is glacier ice blue? (39)

Muir Glacier and Muir Inlet 1980

Muir Glacier and Muir Inlet 1980

Muir Glacier and Muir Inlet 1980

This ship-deck-based August 1980 photograph of Muir Glacier and Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, St. Elias Mountains, Alaska, shows the nearly 200-ft-high retreating tidewater end of Muir Glacier with part of its face capped by a few angular pinnacles of ice, called séracs.

This ship-deck-based August 1980 photograph of Muir Glacier and Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, St. Elias Mountains, Alaska, shows the nearly 200-ft-high retreating tidewater end of Muir Glacier with part of its face capped by a few angular pinnacles of ice, called séracs.

Why is glacier ice blue? (42)

Matanuska Glacier

Matanuska Glacier

Why is glacier ice blue? (45)

Ice Queen

Ice Queen

Ice Queen

Block of Ice on Vitus Lake, from Bering Glacier, Alaska

Block of Ice on Vitus Lake, from Bering Glacier, Alaska

State of the Earth’s cryosphere at the beginning of the 21st century : glaciers, global snow cover, floating ice, and permafrost and periglacial environments: Chapter A in Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world

This chapter is the tenth in a series of 11 book-length chapters, collectively referred to as “this volume,” in the series U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World. In the other 10 chapters, each of which concerns a specific glacierized region of Earth, the authors used remotely sensed images, primarily from the Landsat 1, 2, and 3 series of sp

Authors

Richard S. Williams, Jane G. Ferrigno

Fifty-year record of glacier change reveals shifting climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA

Fifty years of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research on glacier change shows recent dramatic shrinkage of glaciers in three climatic regions of the United States. These long periods of record provide clues to the climate shifts that may be driving glacier change. The USGS Benchmark Glacier Program began in 1957 as a result of research efforts during the International Geophysical Year (Meier a

Authors

Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World

In 1978, the USGS began the preparation of the 11-chapter USGS Professional Paper 1386, 'Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World'. Between 1979 and 1981, optimum satellite images were distributed to a team of 70 scientists, representing 25 nations and 45 institutions, who agreed to author sections of the Professional Paper concerning either a geographic area (chapters B-K) or a glaciologica

Authors

Richard S. Williams, Jane G. Ferrigno

Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world — North America

No abstract available.

Authors

Richard S. Williams, Jane G. Ferrigno

Global ice-core research: Understanding and applying environmental records of the past

One way to study Earth’s past environmental conditions is to look at ice cores recovered from glaciers. Every year a layer of snow accumulates on glaciers, like a page in a history book, and eventually turns to ice. Like reading the pages of a history book, analyzing the layers in a glacial ice core for specific chemical and physical components is a way of “reading” the environmental changes of th

Authors

L. DeWayne Cecil, Jaromy R. Green, David L. Naftz

Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world

U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World, contains 11 chapters designated by the letters A through K. Chapter A provides a comprehensive, yet concise, review of the "State of the Earth's Cryosphere at the Beginning of the 21st Century: Glaciers, Global Snow Cover, Floating Ice, and Permafrost and Periglacial Environments," and a "Map/Poster of

Authors

Richard S. Williams, Jane G. Ferrigno

Glaciers Rapidly Shrinking and Disappearing: 50 Years of Glacier Change in Montana

Glaciers Rapidly Shrinking and Disappearing: 50 Years of Glacier Change in Montana

The warming climate has dramatically reduced the size of 39 glaciers in Montana since 1966, some by as much as 85 percent, according to data released...

Read Article

Fifty Years of Glacier Change Research in Alaska

Fifty Years of Glacier Change Research in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the longest continuous glacier research efforts in North America.

Read Article

From Icefield to Ocean - What Glacier Change Might Mean for the Future of Alaska

From Icefield to Ocean - What Glacier Change Might Mean for the Future of Alaska

Frozen bodies of ice cover nearly 10 percent of the state of Alaska, but the influence of glaciers on the environment, tourism, fisheries, hydropower...

Read Article

Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems

Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems

ANCHORAGE, Alaska Melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world’s oceans...

Read Article

Rare Insect Found Only in Glacier National Park Imperiled by Melting Glaciers

Rare Insect Found Only in Glacier National Park Imperiled by Melting Glaciers

The persistence of an already rare aquatic insect, the western glacier stonefly, is being imperiled by the loss of glaciers and increased stream...

Read Article

Related Content

Why is glacier ice blue? (2024)

FAQs

Why is glacier ice blue? ›

Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.

Why do glaciers appear blue? ›

These heavy layers press the air out of the deeper layers of ice. This not only removes much of the air, it also causes the ice to form large, dense crystals. When light hits these crystals, they absorb long wavelengths of light. At the same time, they scatter short-waved blue light, which makes the ice appear blue.

Why does pure ice look blue? ›

Blue is the color of pure glacier ice, compact with few air bubbles, since the air is squeezed out from the weight of the ice. Pure ice has the properties of minerals. Like sapphires, glacial ice reflects the blue colors of the light spectrum, so beautiful blue color reaches our eyes.

Is glacier water actually blue? ›

Glacial water is bluish or greenish. This is because of "rock flour" in the water. The rock flour is small bits of minerals and rock that are in suspension due to the grinding of the glacier against the land. The particles refract the green or blue spectrum of sunlight making the water appear coloured.

Why are some icebergs dark blue? ›

A blue iceberg is visible after the ice from above the water melts, causing the smooth portion of ice from below the water to overturn. The rare blue ice is formed from the compression of pure snow, which then develops into glacial ice. Icebergs may also appear blue due to light refraction and age.

What makes glacier water blue? ›

The blue (turquoise) colour is due to fine silt particles, or glacial flour, in the water. This is a result of glacial erosion. The silt is so fine it does not settle to the bottom quickly, remaining in suspension in the lake water.

Is blue ice better than packed ice? ›

Usage. Blue ice is slippery, causing most entities to slide, including items. It is even more slippery (0.989) than ice or packed ice (0.98). This allows for increased speed of items in water currents by placing the blue ice under the water current.

How rare are blue icebergs? ›

Red and yellow bands of the light spectrum are absorbed, while blue light is reflected, resulting in the glacier's blue, almost turquoise hue. The phenomenon is similar to that which makes the sky appear blue. Blue ice is relatively rare, covering only around one percent of Antarctica.

What color is the strongest ice? ›

The strongest and safest ice is clear ice—sometimes called blue ice—which typically forms at the start of the ice season on top of calm water. The ice is clear but can appear blue or black when looking down into the water.

What is special about blue ice? ›

The ice appears blue as a result of the absorption of solar radiation at yellow and red wavelengths. Deeply penetrating light is uniformly scattered at blue wavelengths by the enclosed air bubbles. Blue ice areas are also noteworthy for their role in preserving fallen meteorites.

Is glacier water good or bad for you? ›

Therefore, if you were to drink straight glacial water, you would likely be consuming fecal matter and bacteria with it. Additionally, the U.S. National Parks Service (NPS) recommends against drinking water from a natural source that hasn't been filtered or purified.

Why is glacier water so clean? ›

Distinct from surface and groundwater sources that have been contaminated by human and natural causes, Eklutna Glacier melts slowly from the oldest ice underneath the glacier to form Eklutna Lake. The result is a completely pristine and great tasting drinking water.

Why is Alaska water so blue? ›

Sediment is not the only thing that gives water this color in satellite images: a dense bloom of tiny ocean plants can also lend the water a blue-green tint. Called phytoplankton, these microscopic, surface-dwelling plants thrive in cool, nutrient-laden water such as the Gulf of Alaska.

What is the difference between a glacier and an iceberg? ›

Glaciers are located in the Arctic and Antarctica, with the largest glaciers appearing in Antarctica. Icebergs, on the other hand, are smaller pieces of ice that have broken off (or calved) from glaciers and now drift with the ocean currents.

Why does glacier ice appear blue instead of white? ›

Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.

Why is ice blue in Alaska? ›

Glacial ice is a different color than regular ice. It is so blue because the dense ice of the glacier absorbs every other color of the spectrum except blue, so blue is what we see.

Why are glaciers not white? ›

So why is snow sometimes blue and not white? Blue ice occurs when ice is compressed, air bubbles are squeezed out and ice crystals enlarge, making the ice appear blue. Snow is white because light is scattered and reflected at the boundary between ice and air similar to the bubbles at the top of a dark beer.

What is the meaning of blue ice? ›

1. : clean compact ice formed in glaciers by recrystallization of snow, often in bands presumably along shear zones. 2. : coarsely crystallized ice on the surface of some seas and lakes compare black ice, white ice.

Is glacial ice always greenish or bluish in color? ›

Over time the larger ice crystals become more compressed and even denser, this is known as glacial ice. Glacial ice, because of its density and ice crystals, often takes a bluish or even green hue.

Why does snow appear blue? ›

Essentially the light is traveling down through the snow or ice and as it gets deeper, more and more of the light is scattered. Over a reasonable distance, with enough light being scattered, the particles of light that do emerge from the bottom layer of snow/ice tend to be made up of blue light.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Greg O'Connell

Last Updated:

Views: 6532

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (62 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Greg O'Connell

Birthday: 1992-01-10

Address: Suite 517 2436 Jefferey Pass, Shanitaside, UT 27519

Phone: +2614651609714

Job: Education Developer

Hobby: Cooking, Gambling, Pottery, Shooting, Baseball, Singing, Snowboarding

Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.