Confluence of Gates and Kennicott Glaciers, Wrangell Mountains, Alaska
Taken on Jul. 21, 2015
This photo, taken in the summer, shows the confluence of the Gates and Kennicott Glaciers in the Wrangell Mountains, Alaska, located upstream from McCarthy, one of the few permanent settlements in this region. This landscape is typical of mid-elevations here, showing the transition from lifeless ice fields at high elevations, to lower elevations where there is more exposed soil. Even here, plants can only survive on a small portion of the landscape, where the topography shelters the land from glaciation.
