Cowlitz Glacier

The Cowlitz Glacier is on the southeast flank of Mount Rainier in the U.S. state of Washington. The body of ice covers 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) and has a volume of 6 billion ft3 (170 million m3). The glacier starts at an elevation of 10,700 feet (3,300 m) and flows southeast. An adjacent glacier, the Paradise Glacier, is connected to this glacier on its southwest margin. As it flows down the slopes of Mount Rainier it nearly meets up with the Ingraham Glacier and during the Little Ice Age, which ended around the year 1850, the two glaciers shared a common terminus. Meltwater from the glacier drains into the Cowlitz River.

Cowlitz Glacier
Upper Cowlitz Glacier (right center)
Cowlitz Glacier
TypeMountain glacier
LocationMount Rainier National Park, Pierce County, Washington, USA
Coordinates46°49′50″N 121°43′02″W
Area1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2)
StatusRetreating
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