From Ice Age to Geological Wonderland: The Rapid Transformation of Adam’s Inlet

Adam’s Inlet, previously covered by thick ice, is now ice-free and features braided rivers, landslide debris, and alluvial fans spread across a dynamic landscape in Glacier Bay National Park.

From a geological perspective, Adam’s Inlet in Alaska has undergone major changes in the blink of an eye. Just 130 years ago, the inlet was covered by ice hundreds of meters thick. Today, it is ice-free.

Geomorphological Transformations
The inlet, which drains into the East Arm of Glacier Bay, lies within Glacier Bay National Park. “Since the end of the Little Ice Age about 150 years ago, Glacier Bay has seen deglaciation on a scale almost unseen anywhere else on Earth,” said Dan Shugar, a University of Calgary geomorphologist. “In Adam’s Inlet, the retreat of the ice has exposed a remarkable landscape. Steep slopes, glacial rivers, ocean tides, and sediment are smashing together to create a geological wonderland.”