Edmunds Glacier
Encyclopedia
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 (1.29 km2) and has a volume of 1.1 billion feet3 (31.1 million m3). The glacier lies on the western flank of the volcano below the steep, rocky Mowich Face and Sunset Face. Starting from an elevation of about 9900 feet (3,017.5 m), the glacier flows northwest down to 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) and ends northeast of the Jeanette Heights region of Mount Rainier. Meltwater from the Edmunds Glacier feeds the Mowich River
which eventually merges with the Puyallup 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 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. Named in 1883 for Vermont George F. Edmunds
George F. Edmunds
George Franklin Edmunds was a Republican U.S. Senator from Vermont from 1866 to 1891.Born in Richmond, Vermont, Edmunds attended common schools and was privately tutored as a child. After being admitted to the bar in 1849, he started a law practice in Burlington, Vermont...
, who visited nearby Spray Park that year, the body of ice covers 0.5 mile2 (1.29 km2) and has a volume of 1.1 billion feet3 (31.1 million m3). The glacier lies on the western flank of the volcano below the steep, rocky Mowich Face and Sunset Face. Starting from an elevation of about 9900 feet (3,017.5 m), the glacier flows northwest down to 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) and ends northeast of the Jeanette Heights region of Mount Rainier. Meltwater from the Edmunds Glacier feeds the 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...
which eventually merges with the Puyallup River
Puyallup River
The Puyallup River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. About long, it is formed by glaciers on the west side of Mount Rainier. It flows generally northwest, emptying into Commencement Bay, part of Puget Sound...
.