North Mowich Glacier
Encyclopedia
The North Mowich Glacier is a glacier
located on the northwest flank of Mount Rainier
in Washington. It covers 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) and contains 9.5 billion ft3 (269 million m3) of ice. Starting from the foot of Rainier's steep Mowich Face at about 9600 feet (2,926.1 m), the glacier first consists of two lobes of ice that flow downhill to the northwest. The southern arm of the glacier is connected to the adjacent Edmunds Glacier
. As the two sections of ice join up, they form a large, relatively flat plateau of ice ranging from 7800 feet (2,377.4 m) to 8300 feet (2,529.8 m). This plateau is an unbroken expanse of ice except for Needle Rock, which pokes out of the glacier ice. From then on, the southern part of the glacier terminates at about 6400 feet (1,950.7 m), while the northern, rocky arm flows down a glacial valley and ends at about 5800 ft (1,767.8 m) in elevation. The North Mowich Glacier gives rise to the North Mowich River
.
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...
located on the northwest flank of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in Washington. It covers 2.4 square miles (6.2 km²) and contains 9.5 billion ft3 (269 million m3) of ice. Starting from the foot of Rainier's steep Mowich Face at about 9600 feet (2,926.1 m), the glacier first consists of two lobes of ice that flow downhill to the northwest. The southern arm of the glacier is connected to the adjacent Edmunds Glacier
Edmunds Glacier
The Edmunds Glacier is a medium-sized glacier on Mount Rainier in Washington. Named in 1883 for Vermont George F. Edmunds, who visited nearby Spray Park that year, the body of ice covers 0.5 mile2 and has a volume of 1.1 billion feet3 . The glacier lies on the western flank of the volcano below...
. As the two sections of ice join up, they form a large, relatively flat plateau of ice ranging from 7800 feet (2,377.4 m) to 8300 feet (2,529.8 m). This plateau is an unbroken expanse of ice except for Needle Rock, which pokes out of the glacier ice. From then on, the southern part of the glacier terminates at about 6400 feet (1,950.7 m), while the northern, rocky arm flows down a glacial valley and ends at about 5800 ft (1,767.8 m) in elevation. The North Mowich Glacier gives rise to the North Mowich River
Mowich River
The Mowich River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. Its watershed drains a portion of the western side of Mount Rainier, part of the Cascade Range. The river has two main headwater branches, the South Mowich River and the North Mowich River. The South Mowich is significantly larger and...
.