Scroll down through this page
or click on the map below to take a virtual tour of Nellie Juan Glacier
and lagoon. Each red number links to a photo.
1. Flying southwest
towards the study area we see Derickson Bay in the foreground and Nellie
Juan lagoon beyond the prominent spit. This lagoon is tidal with
strong flood and ebb currents passing though the narrow and shallow entrance
passage. Nellie Juan Glacier is out of sight at the back right (southwest)
corner of the lagoon.
2. Looking southwest
into Nellie Juan lagoon. The lagoon-mouth spit was formed at the
terminus of Nellie Juan Glacier in 1935 and was uplifted during the 1964
earthquake. The entrance to the inner fjord where Nellie Juan Glacier
terminates today is visible in the right background. Note the lack
of vegetation around the shores of the lagoon; this inner area has only
been ice-free for a few decades and vegetation has yet to become re-established.
3. This bedrock knob
is directly west of the lagoon mouth spit and was partially covered by
ice during the 1840s to 1880s maximum stand of Nellie Juan Glacier.
The line of tall trees (slightly darker green) along the crest of the knob
are growing on the terminal moraine, while smaller trees and shrubs have
colonized the deglaciated side of the knob in the foreground.
4. The lagoon mouth
passage has been kept open since 1935 by daily scouring of flood and ebb
tides. These currents can be strong and there are many submerged
boulders in the channel, creating a significant hazard to boats attempting
to enter the lagoon. Icebergs calved by Nellie Juan Glacier are visible
along the inner shore of the spit.
5. This cirque basin
is situated 350 feet above sea level along the western side of the lagoon.
The two lakes are separated by a lateral moraine of Nellie Juan Glacier
deposited during the 1840s to 1880s ice maximum.
6. At the southwestern
end of the lagoon we find a small fjord that leads back to the present
terminus of Nellie Juan Glacier. Ice is flowing into the terminal
area from the northern Sargent Icefield (around the bedrock ridge on the
left side of the view).
7. Nellie Juan Glacier
terminates as a steeply descending ice tongue that is deeply riven by crevasses.
Icebergs are normally quite small and calving activity low, but in July
2000 we did observe a large calving of the full height of the ice cliff.
The resulting wave swept the shores for the full length of the fjord and
reached out into the lagoon as a distinct increase in surf activity.
The small dot in the foreground is a small fishing boat.
8. Turning back to the
east we see the main sampling gully of this project. Meltwater from
snow along the south and east sides of the lagoon has eroded through a
terrace of glacial deposits (flat area in left side of view). Many
subfossil logs are present within this gully and on the surface of the
fan delta that has built out into Nellie Juan lagoon (foreground).
Bedrock is close to the surface here and crops-out to the west of the gully
(right side of view), at the waterfall below the pond (background) and
at the cascade (left foreground).
9. The eastern side
of the lagoon is a series of moderately level areas separated by steep
bedrock cliffs. The area in the foreground was deglaciated in the
1950s and is now covered by deposits of till, kame and outwash of variable
thickness and extent. Several subfossil logs were found among the
rocks at the base of the waterfall in the foreground.
Return to Nellie Juan index page.
