88 HARRY FIELDING REID 



rapidly; Lucia Glacier was advancing rapidly and overriding a nunatak after 

 semi-stagnation since before 1890; Hidden Glacier had advanced 3 kms. in 

 less than 3 years and had returned to semi-stagnation; Nunatak Glacier 

 was continuing the retreat in progress since 1890, having retreated over f 

 km. since 1906 or nearly 5^ kms. since 1895; Turner Glacier had advanced 

 slightly since 1906. The Variegated, Haenke, Atrevida, and the Marvine 

 lobe of Malaspina Glacier had ceased the spasmodic advance which Tarr 

 observed in 1906 and explained, not as climatic, but as part of a glacier flood 

 due to earthquake avalanching. Haenke Glacier, which advanced and became 

 tidal between September, 1905 and June, 1906, had retreated before 1909 so 

 that it no longer discharged icebergs, being fronted by a low gravel cliff. It 

 was once more mantled with ablation moraine, as were large parts of Varie- 

 gated and Atrevida glaciers and the Marvine lobe of Malaspina Glacier. 

 Our party easily crossed Variegated and Atrevida Glaciers in 1909 in the parts 

 most impassably crevassed in 1906. The advance of three additional glaciers 

 between 1906 and 1909 and the quick return to semi-stagnation in 1909 of 

 the four that were rapidly advancing in 1906 gives additional proof of the 

 earthquake-avalanche hypothesis for certain variations of mountain glaciers. 



On the lower Copper River the Miles, Childs, and Baird glaciers were, 

 in 1909, in about the same conditions as when they were seen by Abercrombie 

 in 1884, by Allen in 1885, by Hayes in 1891, and by Schrader in 1900. Parts 

 of Miles and Baird glaciers have been stagnant and forest-covered for at least 

 twenty-five years. Five miles of railway track has been laid on Baird Glacier. 

 Childs Glacier seems to be advancing and forcing Copper River eastward, 

 according to Johnson. The rate of movement near its northern margin in 

 July, 1909 was about 4 feet a day. During the last half of July, 1909, abla- 

 tion lowered the surface of Childs Glacier at the rate of 7 inches a day. 



In eastern Prince William Sound, Valdez Glacier is retreating, as it has 

 been since 1898 excepting the slight advance between 1905 and 1908 recorded 

 by Grant. Shoup Glacier has been retreating since 1898 except for a slight 

 advance, perhaps, in the spring of 1909. Columbia Glacier was continuing 

 the advance observed by Grant in 1908 and early in July, 1909. The eastern 

 margin had advanced, before August, 1909, making a decided lobation, but 

 not reaching the forest along the whole margin. The western margin had 

 advanced more than 800 feet up to the forest of Gilbert's maximum of 1892, 

 as was also the case at Heather Island where the middle of the glacier was 

 destroying the forest in August, 1909. 



The United States Geological Survey has published a bulle- 

 tin 1 containing a short account of the glaciers of the Wrangell 



1 F. H. Moffit and Adolph Knopf, "The Mineral Resources of the Nabesna- 

 White River District, Alaska, with a Section on the Quaternary by S. R. Capps," 

 U.S. Gcol. Survey, Bull. No. 417, Washington, 1910. 



