News Climate

See how an Alaskan glacier has shrunk over time

47 years of satellite images capture the Columbia glacier’s retreat

Columbia glacier

Alaska’s Columbia glacier has retreated rapidly over the last four decades. This false-color image was taken in July 2014.

NASA Earth Observatory images by Lauren Dauphin, using Landsat data from the U.S. Geological Survey

By Carolyn Gramling

- More than 2 years ago

SAN FRANCISCO — A mesmerizing new series of images shows the retreat of Alaska’s Columbia glacier over the last 47 years in gorgeous, excruciating detail.