The hundreds of meters deep Mendenhall ice cave is about to disappear

A tourist takes a photo inside the Mendenhall Ice Caves - Photo: A JAUNT WITH JOY

The Mendenhall Glacier formed about 3,000 years ago, during the Little Ice Age. Hidden inside the glacier is a cave system of the same name that is as beautiful as an aquarium.

The formation of the Mendenhall Ice Caves began when warm water flowing over the surface of a glacier melted some of the thin ice blocks and carved deep into them.

These gouges gradually widened towards the end of the glacier and became giant ice caves hundreds of meters deep.

Beautiful green inside the cave - Photo: BRIAN WEED

The Mendenhall Ice Caves are 2,500km of ice and snow. The snowfall in this area can be as deep as 30m each year, keeping the ice from melting for centuries.

The cave is covered in a mysterious and magical blue color. This is the result of the absorption and reflection of sunlight by hundreds of unique crystal structures inside the cave.

Although it looks sturdy from the outside, the Mendenhall Ice Cave could collapse at any moment.

Climate change is causing ice to melt faster and faster, meaning the ice caves and Mendenhall Glacier will disappear in the near future.

A group of tourists are exploring the Mendenhall Ice Caves - Photo: SKIP GRAY

According to scientists ' estimates, by 2050, visitors will not be able to see the Mendenhall Glacier from the Juneau tourist center - which welcomes thousands of visitors to see the glacier every year.

Therefore, many tourists are taking the opportunity to visit Alaska to see the Mendenhall Ice Caves in particular and the Mendenhall Glacier in general.

Another view inside the cave - Photo: GILLFOTO

To reach the cave, visitors must overcome an arduous and dangerous journey.

Many tourists have gotten lost or had accidents. That is why local authorities advise first-time visitors to hire a tour guide.

In addition to Mendenhall, visitors can visit some other famous ice caves in the world such as "Crystal Cave" in Iceland, "Nigardsbreen Ice Cathedral" in Norway, "Big Four Ice Mountains" in Washington state, USA.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-dong-bang-mendenhall-sau-hang-tram-met-sap-bien-mat-2024030520353682.htm