Ikonos satellite images of Variegated Glacier, Alaska

Variegated Glacier (60°00' N, 139° 11' W), located in the coastal St. Elias Mountains of Alaska, is the most thoroughly studied surge type glacier in the world, largely because of extensive field studies carried out between 1973 and 1986 and a well known history of seven surges during the twentieth century. The most recent surge, which terminated in 2004, is of particular interest in the light of the premature termination of the previous one in 1995. There is no ongoing study of Variegated Glacier, but information from several sources, mainly satellite imagery, has been pieced together to constrain the timing and morphology of the recent surge.杂色冰川（Variegated Glacier）的地理坐标为北纬60°00′、西经139°11′，坐落于美国阿拉斯加州沿海的圣伊莱亚斯山脉，是全球研究程度最高的跃动型冰川（surge type glacier）。该冰川之所以得到如此深入的研究，主要得益于1973年至1986年间开展的大规模野外考察工作，以及其在20世纪先后发生7次跃动的详实历史记录。其最近一次跃动于2004年结束，由于上一次跃动在1995年便提前终止，该次跃动尤为受到学界关注。目前暂无针对杂色冰川的在研项目，但研究人员已整合多渠道信息（主要为卫星影像数据），以限定本次近期跃动的发生时间与地貌形态特征。