Mount Jarvis
Encyclopedia
Mount Jarvis is an eroded shield volcano
in the Wrangell Mountains
of eastern Alaska
. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 10 miles (16 km) east of the summit of Mount Wrangell
. The mountain sits at the northeastern edge of the massive ice-covered shield of Wrangell, rising nearly 5000 feet (1,524 m) above it in a spectacular series of cliffs and icefall
s.
When seen from above, Mount Jarvis is distinctly dumbbell
-shaped, with two prominent peaks connected by a narrower ridge. The mountain's main summit is 13421 feet (4,091 m), making it one of numerous thirteener
s (peaks between 13,000 and 13,999 feet in elevation) in Alaska. The second summit is located about 3 miles (5 km) to the north-northwest, reaching 13025 feet (3,970 m) with over 725 feet (221 m) of prominence above the connecting saddle,
thus qualifying it as an independent peak on the list of thirteeners as well. The entire summit area including both peaks and the ridge is covered in glacial ice
. The steep, rocky eastern and western faces of Mount Jarvis form headwall
s above the cirques
of the Jacksina Glacier and Copper Glacier, which flow northward out of the Wrangell Mountains.
Mount Jarvis was named in 1903 by F. C. Schrader, a USGS
geologist, for Lt. David H. Jarvis of the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service
, who led the Overland Relief Expedition to aid a whaling fleet trapped in Arctic Ocean
ice off Point Barrow
in 1897–98.
Shield volcano
A shield volcano is a type of volcano usually built almost entirely of fluid lava flows. They are named for their large size and low profile, resembling a warrior's shield. This is caused by the highly fluid lava they erupt, which travels farther than lava erupted from more explosive volcanoes...
in the Wrangell Mountains
Wrangell Mountains
The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they include the second and third highest volcanoes in the...
of eastern Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It is located in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park about 10 miles (16 km) east of the summit of Mount Wrangell
Mount Wrangell
Mount Wrangell is a massive shield volcano located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in southeastern Alaska, United States. The shield rises over above the Copper River to its southwest. Its volume is over , making it more than twice as massive as Mount Shasta in California, the...
. The mountain sits at the northeastern edge of the massive ice-covered shield of Wrangell, rising nearly 5000 feet (1,524 m) above it in a spectacular series of cliffs and icefall
Icefall
An icefall is a portion of some glaciers characterized by rapid flow and a chaotic crevassed surface. Perhaps the most conspicuous consequence of glacier flow, icefalls occur where the glacier bed steepens and/or narrows...
s.
When seen from above, Mount Jarvis is distinctly dumbbell
Dumbbell
The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It can be used individually or in pairs .-History:...
-shaped, with two prominent peaks connected by a narrower ridge. The mountain's main summit is 13421 feet (4,091 m), making it one of numerous thirteener
Thirteener
In mountaineering in the United States, a thirteener is a mountain that exceeds above mean sea level, similar to the more familiar "fourteeners," which exceed...
s (peaks between 13,000 and 13,999 feet in elevation) in Alaska. The second summit is located about 3 miles (5 km) to the north-northwest, reaching 13025 feet (3,970 m) with over 725 feet (221 m) of prominence above the connecting saddle,
thus qualifying it as an independent peak on the list of thirteeners as well. The entire summit area including both peaks and the ridge is covered in glacial ice
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
. The steep, rocky eastern and western faces of Mount Jarvis form headwall
Headwall
In physical geography and geology the headwall of a glacial cirque is its highest cliff.In civil engineering, a headwall is a small retaining wall placed at the outlet of a stormwater pipe or culvert....
s above the cirques
Cirque (landform)
thumb|250 px|Two cirques with semi-permanent snowpatches in [[Abisko National Park]], [[Sweden]].A cirque or corrie is an amphitheatre-like valley head, formed at the head of a valley glacier by erosion...
of the Jacksina Glacier and Copper Glacier, which flow northward out of the Wrangell Mountains.
Mount Jarvis was named in 1903 by F. C. Schrader, a USGS
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
geologist, for Lt. David H. Jarvis of the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service
United States Revenue Cutter Service
The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton in 1790 as an armed maritime law enforcement service. Throughout its entire existence the Revenue Cutter Service operated under the authority of the United States Department of the Treasury...
, who led the Overland Relief Expedition to aid a whaling fleet trapped in Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
ice off Point Barrow
Point Barrow
Point Barrow or Nuvuk is a headland on the Arctic coast in the U.S. state of Alaska, northeast of Barrow. It is the northernmost point of all the territory of the United States, at...
in 1897–98.