See also Columbia Glacier (Alaska)

Columbia Glacier (Alaska)

The Columbia Glacier is a glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of several glaciers in the area named for elite U.S. colleges, in this case Columbia University, and was named by the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899...

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Columbia Glacier is a glacier located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness

Henry M. Jackson Wilderness

The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the state of Washington, United States.-History:The Henry M. Jackson Wilderness was created by the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act and named after former US Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Washington. It rises from 4,700 (1,432 m) to about 5,600 feet (1,706 m) above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...

. It is surrounded by Columbia Peak

Columbia Peak

Columbia Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in the U.S. state of Washington. Columbia Peak rises to . Together with Monte Cristo Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake....

, Monte Cristo Peak

Monte Cristo Peak

Monte Cristo Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in Washington state. Together with Columbia Peak and Kyes Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake...

, and Kyes Peak

Kyes Peak

Kyes Peak is a mountain peak in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness in Washington, United States. Kyes Peak rises to over . Together with Columbia Peak and Monte Cristo Peak it forms a basin that contains Columbia Glacier and Blanca Lake...

 and is a source of water for Blanca Lake

Blanca Lake

Blanca Lake is located in the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Area in the Cascade Mountains of the U.S. state of Washington.Blanca Lake sits in a basin surrounded by the peaks of Monte Cristo, Kyes, and Columbia. The lake is fed by the Columbia Glacier to the northwest and is drained by Troublesome...

 and Troublesome Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Skykomish River

Skykomish River

The Skykomish River is a Washington river which drains the west side of the Cascade Mountains in the southeast section of Snohomish County and the northeast corner of King County. The river starts with the confluence of the North Fork Skykomish River and South Fork Skykomish River approximately one...

.

The glacier retreated 278 feet (85 m) between 1979 and 2004. The retreat is due to recent reduced winter snowpack and more summer melting leading to negative mass balance

Glacier mass balance

Crucial to the survival of a glacier is its mass balance, the difference between accumulation and ablation . Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, causing changes in mass balance. Changes in mass balance control a glacier's long term behavior and is the most...

. The glacier is in disequilibrium with climate and will continue to thin and retreat.