Moss on the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska

Abstract

A species of moss (Musci) is observed on the Matanuska Glacier of Alaska in the middle of summer. The life cycle of the moss is perfectly observed. This is very rare and special because the environment is completely glacial and barren of plants. Matanuska is a gigantic glacier formed about 18,000 years ago in the Palmer region near Anchorage. It has a dimension of 27 miles in length and 4 miles in width. The glacier is located in the region between Anchorage and Mount McKinley. This huge glacier carved the Matanuska valley thousands of years ago. The mighty glacier also forms the Matanuska River. The summer weather is very changeable throughout the day: warm, cold, sunshiny, windy, cloudy, rainy, snowy, foggy, etc. The Arctic clouds move very quickly and create variable climates. So there are four seasons even in one day during the summer period of this region.