Alaska’s Muir Glacier Melted into a Colorful, Vibrant River

The famous Muir Glacier was named after the naturalist John Muir, who explored the area, wrote about it, and raised awareness to it. It has previously been known as the most famous of the tidewater glaciers. These comparison photos from 1941 to now demonstrate the change in Alaska’s Muir Glacier over the past five decades and just how much it has retreated.

Sometimes, change can be beautiful at first sight, but when looked at a little closer, it can actually be pretty alarming. The photos you see here are conveying drastic changes that have completely taken hold of Alaska’s Muir Glacier. The glacier has been consistently thinning over the last 70 years and although it’s a beautiful sight to see, the detriment is pretty substantial.