Columbia Glacier, Alaska, 1986-2011. Landsat satellite photograph of Columbia Glacier in 1986 (top), 2000 (middle) and 2011 (bottom). Columbia Glacier descends from an ice field 3,050 metres above sea level, down the flanks of the Chugach Mountains, and into a narrow inlet that leads into Prince William Sound in southeastern Alaska. It is one of the most rapidly changing glaciers in the world. Snow and ice appears bright cyan, vegetation is green, clouds are white or light orange, and the open ocean is dark blue. Exposed bedrock is brown, while rocky debris on the glacier’s surface is gray. Between 1980 and present day, the glacier has retreated 20 kilometres north and lost roughly half its thickness and volume.