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Why is glacier ice blue?
It partly depends on how dense the ice is
Alaska.com
Glaciers are created when decades upon decades of snow compact themselves into ice. As the ice crystals grow, they push out the air.
The ice absorbs most light and reflects the short-wave-length blue light.
But as ice moves along and is exposed to warmer air or warmer water, the crystal structure breaks down and reflects all the light. That change, writes guide Karen Jettmar in "Alaska's Glacier Bay: A Traveler's Guide," makes the ice appear white.
And that's why the deepest blue coloration is often seen in fractured places: crevasses, towers and where chunks of ice have calved. The color may appear richest on cloudy days.
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