Tahoma Glacier

Infobox_Glacier | glacier_name = Tahoma Glacier


caption =
type = Mountain glacier
location = Mount Rainier, Washington, U.S.
coordinates = coord|46|50|23|N|121|48|33|W|type:glacier [Google Earth images.]
area = convert|1.2|sqmi|km2|1, 1983Cite web|title= DESCRIPTION: Mount Rainier Glaciers and Glaciations - Mount Rainier Glacier Hazards and Glacial Outburst Floods|url=http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Rainier/Glaciers/description_rainier_glaciers.html|accessdate= 2007-11-19|publisher=USGS]
length =
thickness =
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The Tahoma Glacier is a long glacier mostly on the western flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. It covers convert|1.2|sqmi|km2|1 and contains 4.3 billion ft³ (122 million m³) of ice. The glacier starts out near the summit of the volcano at over Convert|14200|ft|m|-2. As the glacier flows west-southwest out of the summit area, it cascades down a steep rocky face as an icefall from Convert|13200|ft|m|-2 to Convert|11000|ft|m|-2, where the glacier is connected to the South Mowich Glacier to the north in the Sunset Amphitheater.Cite web|title=USGS Mount Rainier West (WA) Topo Map|work=USGS Quad maps|url=http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=46.83740&lon=-121.80527&datum=nad27&zoom=8|publisher=TopoQuest.com|accessdate=2008-05-15] As the glacier drops below Convert|10000|ft|m|-2, the glacier broadens and joins the smaller South Tahoma Glacier. After the broad expanse of ice at over Convert|8000|ft|m|-2, the Tahoma Glacier narrows as it descends around the rocky Convert|7690|ft|m|0-Glacier Island, a sub-peak of Rainier once fully encircled by both the South Tahoma and Tahoma Glaciers. Leaving the bottleneck in the glacier, the glacier splits, the larger, longer northern arm continues flowing west-southwest and terminates at around Convert|5500|ft|m|-2. The southern arm flows south towards the arm of the South Tahoma Glacier, but this arm terminates before it rejoins the South Tahoma at Convert|5700|ft|m|-2|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on|abbr=on. Meltwater from the glacier drains into the Nisqually River.

ee also

*South Tahoma Glacier
*List of glaciers

References