8 



ALASKA GLACIERS 



While traversing the ocean the air becomes loaded with 

 moisture, the cooling over the land diminishes its water- 

 carrying capacity, and part of its load falls to the ground as 

 rain or snow. Moreover, all this coast is mountainous, so 

 that landward flowing air is compelled to rise, and its capac- 

 ity is still further reduced by rarefaction. At the greater 

 altitudes the ratio of snow to rain is comparatively large, 



FIG. I. DISTRIBUTION OF GLACIERS IN ALASKA. 

 The belt containing glaciers is shaded by parallel lines. 



and the mountains thus become gathering grounds for the 

 snows that feed glaciers. Farther inland the air currents 

 descend somewhat and the precipitation is diminished until 

 the conditions for glacier formation cease. Hayes states 

 that while the neve line of glaciers on the southward face 

 of the St. Elias Alps lies at about 2,000 feet above sea- 

 level, its altitude on the northern face is over 6,000 feet. 1 



*An Expedition through the Yukon district. 

 Nat. Geog. Mag., vol. iv, p. 153, 1892. 



By Charles Willard Hayes, 



