College Fjord facts for kids

College Fjord is a long, narrow arm of the sea, also known as a fjord, located in Alaska. You can find it in the northern part of Prince William Sound. This amazing place is home to many glaciers! Some of these are "tidewater glaciers," which means they flow all the way down to the ocean. Others are large valley glaciers, and there are also many smaller ones.

Most of the glaciers in College Fjord are named after famous colleges from the East Coast of the United States. The glaciers on the northwest side are named after women's colleges, and those on the southeast side are named after men's colleges.

College Fjord was first explored in 1899 during an adventure called the Harriman Expedition. This is when the glaciers got their names. Two professors, one from Harvard and one from Amherst, were part of the expedition. They had fun naming many of the glaciers after well-known colleges.

Discovering the Glaciers

The Harriman Expedition in 1899 was a big journey to explore Alaska. Scientists and explorers traveled to many places, including College Fjord. They were the first to map and name many of the natural features they found. This is how the glaciers got their unique college names!

Glaciers Inside College Fjord

Many glaciers flow directly into College Fjord. These are the ones that were named after colleges, based on whether they were on the women's or men's college side of the fjord.

• Amherst Glacier
• Baby Glacier (Alaska)
• Barnard Glacier
• Bryn Mawr Glacier
• Crescent Glacier (Alaska)
• Downer Glacier
• Harvard Glacier
• Holyoke Glacier
• Smith Glacier (Alaska)
• Vassar Glacier
• Wellesley Glacier
• Williams Glacier
• Yale Glacier

Glaciers Near College Fjord

The Harriman Expedition also named other glaciers in the area that are close to College Fjord but don't flow directly into it. You can see some of these on maps from the expedition.

• Columbia Glacier (Alaska)
• Dartmouth Glacier
• Barry Glacier
• Surprise Glacier
• Harriman Glacier
• Serpentine Glacier
• Cataract Glacier

Images for kids

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  This image shows College Fjord using special infrared light. Snow looks white, glaciers are bright blue, and land with plants is red. Even though it looks flat, the glaciers actually tumble down steep hills like frozen waterfalls!

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  An aerial view of College Fjord, Alaska, looking east. You can see the ends of Vassar, Bryn Mawr, and Smith Glaciers on the north (left) side. Harvard Glacier is in the middle, and Yale Glacier is on the southeast (right) edge.

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  A beautiful view of College Fjord.