Comments on: Rock Glacier photo, Wrangell St. Elias National Park, Alaska.

By: Porphyry Mountain, Wrangell - St. Elias National Park, Alaska. - Stock Photos - Skolai Images

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 04:48:13 +0000

[...] the Nizina River before it enters the Chitina River. Sourdough Peak is the one I posted a photo of the rock glacier from recently. The riverbed I’m looking over here is the Kennecott [...]

By: Carl Donohue

Carl Donohue — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 01:35:58 +0000

Hey Dad

Yeah, rock glaciers are very cool. This was the one we flew over right before getting back in to McCarthy, out your window of the plane.

“Talos” was also a Greek Mythology figure, a giant rock thrower. I’m guessing that’s the root of the word ‘talus’ for rock piles.

Cheers

Carl

By: Neil Donohue

Neil Donohue — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:22:23 +0000

Hi Carl,

Now I know what I was looking at back in September. I found your information on rock glaciers very interesting. I must admit all I could see at the time was a pile of grey,drab- looking mud. Your info on how they are formed and the difference between rock glaciers and ice glaciers gave me a much better perspective.By the way, talus is a latin word meaning hook or claw, thus the word talon, and it also refers to the ankle. So maybe you have a toe and an ankle in a rock glacier.
Just thought I’d toss that in.

Cheers, Dad