| Lyell Glacier | |
|---|---|
East lobe of Lyell Glacier |
|
| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Yosemite National Park, Tuolumne County, California, USA |
| Length | 0.5 mile (800 meters) (est) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
There is also a Lyell Glacier, South Georgia
Lyell Glacier is a small glacier in the Sierra Nevada of California. The glacier was discovered by John Muir in 1871 [1], and is the largest glacier in Yosemite National Park. The glacier lies on the northern slopes of Mount Lyell.[2]
The glacier has retreated since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid-19th century. During the mid-20th Century, the glacier split into two smaller glaciers occupying the high cirques of Mount Lyell.
Since 1883, the glacier area has retreated up to 70 percent.[3] Another glacier, the Maclure Glacier on nearby Mount Maclure, has also retreated significantly.