A new island was created after the recoil of a glacier in Alaska

One emerged New island due to Glaciers setback In the coastal plain of the southeast of Alaskawhere thaw water is rapidly expanding glacier lakes, according to the NASA Earth Observatory.

In some parts of Alaska, the water is replacing the ice. As glaciers lose weight and go back, Degree water accumulates on its fronts and shapes.

The alsek glacier formerly surrounded a small mountain known as PROW KNOB near its end. In the summer of 2025, the glacier lost contact with Prow Knob, leaving the continental mass of approximately 5 square kilometers surrounded by the waters of Lake Alsek.

Lake growth between 1984 and 2025

The images disseminated by NASA show the magnitude of the ice setback and the growth of the lake between 1984 and 2025. They were acquired in the summers of those years with the TM (Thematic Mapper) in Landsat 5 and the OLI-2 (Operational Land Image-2) in Landsat 9.

In 1984 the Alsek glacier ended in Gateway Knob, about 5 kilometers west of Prow Knob. In the middle of 20th century, the ice had retired east, but still surrounded Prow Knob. The deceased Austin postin glaciologist He took aerial photographs of the Alsek end in August 1960 and subsequently told Pelt that he gave that name to the geographical accident for his resemblance to the bow of a ship.

Part of the perimeter of Prow Knob had become the shore of the lake for 1984. However, the Alsek glacier remained connected to the northern arm of the Grand Plateau glacier. Everything changed in 1999 with the setback of both glaciers. Alsek’s northern language also detached from a narrow island, exposing the end to more detachments.

Creation of an island in Alaska

After almost two decades more of ice setback, two tributaries to the north and south of Alsek stopped feeding ice to glacia.

Lake Alsek grew significantly south, filling the void left by the Grand Plateau glacier. In 2025 Ice separated from Prow Knob, completing its transformation into an island. The separation occurred at some point between July 13 and August 6, according to satellite images.