Mendenhall Glacier
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Mendenhall Glacier is a glacier about 12 miles long located in Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau in the southeast area of the U.S. state of Alaska.
Originally known as Sitaantaagu ("the Glacier Behind the Town") or Aak'wtaaksit ("the Glacier Behind the Little Lake") by the Tlingits, the glacier was named Auke (Auk) Glacier by naturalist John Muir for the Tlingit Auk Kwaan (or Aak'w Kwaan) band 1879. It was later renamed in honor of Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (1889–1894) in 1892. It extends from the Juneau Icefield, its source, to Mendenhall Lake and ultimately the Mendenhall River.
The Juneau Icefield Research Program has monitored the outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield since 1946, including Mendenhall Glacier. From 1946–2005 the terminus of the glacier, which flows into suburban Juneau, has retreated 1900 feet (580 m). The glacier has also receded 1.75 miles (2.8 km) since 1910, when Mendenhall Lake was created, and over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1700.
The United States Forest Service administers the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center as part of Tongass National Forest.
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