Paradise Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Paradise Glacier is a glacier
on the southeast flank of Mount Rainier
in Washington. It covers 0.4 square miles (1 km²) and contains 0.8 billion ft3 (23 million m3) with Stevens Glacier included. The glacier is bounded to the west by the Muir Snowfield, Anvil Rock and McClure Rock. There is a single extant main lobe of the glacier, ranging from 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) to 7200 feet (2,194.6 m), that is connected to the larger Cowlitz Glacier
. To the south, there was a smaller portion which was near the Cowlitz Rocks and the tiny Williwakas Glacier
, ranging from 6900 feet (2,103.1 m) to 6400 ft (1,950.7 m) in elevation and containing the Paradise Ice Caves until the 1990s. This smaller lobe melted between 2004 and 2006. Meltwater from the glacier drains into the Cowlitz 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...
on the southeast 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 0.4 square miles (1 km²) and contains 0.8 billion ft3 (23 million m3) with Stevens Glacier included. The glacier is bounded to the west by the Muir Snowfield, Anvil Rock and McClure Rock. There is a single extant main lobe of the glacier, ranging from 9000 feet (2,743.2 m) to 7200 feet (2,194.6 m), that is connected to the larger Cowlitz Glacier
Cowlitz Glacier
The Cowlitz Glacier is a large glacier on the southeast flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. The body of ice covers and has a volume of 6 billion ft3 . The glacier starts at an elevation of and flows southeast downhill. An adjacent glacier, the Paradise Glacier, is connected to this glacier...
. To the south, there was a smaller portion which was near the Cowlitz Rocks and the tiny Williwakas Glacier
Williwakas Glacier
The Williwakas Glacier is a glacier located on the south flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. The glacier lies below the Paradise Glacier. Due to its relatively low elevation—–—the glacier is small and surrounded by small snow fields above the regional tree line. A stubby peak is located to the...
, ranging from 6900 feet (2,103.1 m) to 6400 ft (1,950.7 m) in elevation and containing the Paradise Ice Caves until the 1990s. This smaller lobe melted between 2004 and 2006. Meltwater from the glacier drains into the Cowlitz River
Cowlitz River
The Cowlitz River is a river in the state of Washington in the United States, a tributary of the Columbia River. Its tributaries drain a large region including the slopes of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens....
.