Bolam Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Bolam Glacier is a glacier
situated on the northern flank of Mount Shasta
, in the U.S. state
of California
. It is the second longest glacier in California behind the nearby Whitney Glacier
, and the fourth largest and most voluminous after the neighboring Hotlum Glacier
, Whitney Glacier, and Wintun Glacier
.. The Bolam Glacier flows from a cirque
on the north side of Mount Shasta's main summit, with the moving ice starting below a large bergschrund
which spans the glacier at 12,600 ft (3,840 m). Above that, permanent snow and ice extends towards the summit to about 13,500 ft (4,100 m). The glacier flows north down a steep slope and terminates near 9,800 ft (3,000 m).
In 2002, scientists made the first detailed survey of Mount Shasta's glaciers in 50 years. They found that seven of the glaciers have grown over the period 1951-2002, with the Hotlum and Wintun nearly doubling, the Bolam increasing by half, and the Whitney and Konwakiton Glaciers growing by a third.
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...
situated on the northern flank of Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta
Mount Shasta is located at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California and at is the second highest peak in the Cascades and the fifth highest in California...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is the second longest glacier in California behind the nearby Whitney Glacier
Whitney Glacier
The Whitney Glacier is a glacier situated on Mount Shasta, in the U.S. state of California. The Whitney Glacier is the longest glacier and the only valley glacier in California. In area and volume, it ranks second in the state behind the nearby Hotlum Glacier. In 1986, the glacier was measured to...
, and the fourth largest and most voluminous after the neighboring Hotlum Glacier
Hotlum Glacier
The Hotlum Glacier is a glacier situated on the northeast flank of Mount Shasta, in the U.S. state of California. It is the largest and most voluminous glacier in California, although not as thick or long as the nearby Whitney Glacier...
, Whitney Glacier, and Wintun Glacier
Wintun Glacier
The Wintun Glacier is a glacier situated on the eastern flank of Mount Shasta, in the U.S. state of California. It is both the third largest and third most voluminous glacier in California after the neighboring Hotlum Glacier and the Whitney Glacier...
.. The Bolam Glacier flows from a cirque
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...
on the north side of Mount Shasta's main summit, with the moving ice starting below a large bergschrund
Bergschrund
A bergschrund is a crevasse that forms where the moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice above. It is often a serious obstacle for mountaineers, who sometimes abbreviate "bergschrund" to "schrund"....
which spans the glacier at 12,600 ft (3,840 m). Above that, permanent snow and ice extends towards the summit to about 13,500 ft (4,100 m). The glacier flows north down a steep slope and terminates near 9,800 ft (3,000 m).
In 2002, scientists made the first detailed survey of Mount Shasta's glaciers in 50 years. They found that seven of the glaciers have grown over the period 1951-2002, with the Hotlum and Wintun nearly doubling, the Bolam increasing by half, and the Whitney and Konwakiton Glaciers growing by a third.