Kautz Glacier
Encyclopedia
The Kautz Glacier is a narrow glacier
on the southern flank of Mount Rainier
in Washington. Named for August Kautz
, who is sometimes credited for the first ascent of Mount Rainier, covers 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) and contains 7.8 billion ft3 (221 million m3) of ice. Upper Kautz Glacier extends south from the summit ice cap to Kautz Ice Cliff at about 11700 feet (3,566.2 m). Immediately west of the main ice cliff, the glacier continues down Kautz Chute which terminates in another ice cliff just above the lower Kautz Glacier at 10800 feet (3,291.8 m). Usually reached by a short descent from Camp Hazard at 11300 feet (3,444.2 m) on Wapowety Cleaver, climbers following the Kautz Glacier climbing route ascend this chute to the upper glacier.
Starting from the Kautz Glacier Headwall at about 12500 feet (3,810 m), the lower glacier flows generally south-southwest between the Kautz and the Wapowety Cleaver. Just before it meets the Success Glacier
, the Kautz makes a right turn and heads west for a short distance. After the two glaciers meet, the resultant glacier reaches down to about 6000 ft (1,828.8 m) before terminating. Meltwater from the glacier drains into Kautz Creek Falls
and into Kautz Creek
, a tributary
of the Nisqually River
.
, Winthrop
, and South Tahoma
glaciers as well. The glacier released a particularly large mudflow on October 2–3, 1947, when heavy rains melted and eroded the lower part of the glacier. The meltwater transformed into a 14 billion ft3 (40 million m3) mudflow replete with large boulders up to 13 feet (4 m) in diameter. The flow buried Highway 706 in 28 feet (9 m) of sediment and watery debris. Deposits from the 1947 mudflow can still be seen today. Smaller flows occurred in the years 1961, 1985 and 1986.
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 southern 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. Named for August Kautz
August Kautz
August Valentine Kautz was a German-American soldier and Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War. He was the author of several army manuals on duties and customs eventually adopted by the U.S. military.-Early life and career:Born in Ispringen, Baden, Germany, Kautz immigrated with...
, who is sometimes credited for the first ascent of Mount Rainier, covers 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) and contains 7.8 billion ft3 (221 million m3) of ice. Upper Kautz Glacier extends south from the summit ice cap to Kautz Ice Cliff at about 11700 feet (3,566.2 m). Immediately west of the main ice cliff, the glacier continues down Kautz Chute which terminates in another ice cliff just above the lower Kautz Glacier at 10800 feet (3,291.8 m). Usually reached by a short descent from Camp Hazard at 11300 feet (3,444.2 m) on Wapowety Cleaver, climbers following the Kautz Glacier climbing route ascend this chute to the upper glacier.
Starting from the Kautz Glacier Headwall at about 12500 feet (3,810 m), the lower glacier flows generally south-southwest between the Kautz and the Wapowety Cleaver. Just before it meets the Success Glacier
Success Glacier
The Success Glacier is a small glacier located on the southwestern slopes of Mount Rainier in Washington. It covers and contains 500 million cubic ft of ice. The glacier is bounded to the northwest by the Success Cleaver and to the east by the Kautz Cleaver. Starting from a steep rocky slope at...
, the Kautz makes a right turn and heads west for a short distance. After the two glaciers meet, the resultant glacier reaches down to about 6000 ft (1,828.8 m) before terminating. Meltwater from the glacier drains into Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls
Kautz Creek Falls is a waterfall on Kautz Creek in the Mount Rainier National Park in the state of Washington. It was formed when the Kautz Glacier retreated in the last 50 years, creating a series of long and slender cascades totaling about in height down a tall glacial cliff, with a highest drop...
and into Kautz Creek
Kautz Creek
Kautz Creek is a tributary of the Nisqually River, flowing from the Kautz Glacier, with its watershed in the Mount Rainier National Park of Washington. It drains southwest from Mount Rainier for about before it joins the Nisqually River near Mount Rainier Highway. It is notable for being a severe...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Nisqually River
Nisqually River
The Nisqually River is a river in west central Washington in the United States, approximately long. It drains part of the Cascade Range southwest of Tacoma, including the southern slope of Mount Rainier, and empties into the southern end of Puget Sound....
.
Debris flows
The glacier is one of four on Mount Rainier that are known to have released debris flows. Similar flows have stemmed from the NisquallyNisqually Glacier
The Nisqually Glacier is one of the larger glaciers on the southern face of Mount Rainier in the U.S. state of Washington. The glacier is one of the most easily viewed on the mountain, and is accessible from the Paradise visitor facilities in Mount Rainier National Park. The glacier is currently...
, Winthrop
Winthrop Glacier
The Winthrop Glacier is a large glacier on the northeastern side of Mount Rainier in Washington. Named after Theodore Winthrop, the body of ice covers 3.5 mile2 and has a volume of 18.5 billion feet3 . Starting at over at the Columbia Crest, the glacier heads north and descends steeply over the...
, and South Tahoma
South Tahoma Glacier
The South Tahoma Glacier is a glacier located on the southwest flank of Mount Rainier in State of Washington. It covers and contains 4.6 billion ft3 of ice. Starting from an elevation of around at the base of a steep cliff, the glacier flows down southwest with the larger, adjacent Tahoma...
glaciers as well. The glacier released a particularly large mudflow on October 2–3, 1947, when heavy rains melted and eroded the lower part of the glacier. The meltwater transformed into a 14 billion ft3 (40 million m3) mudflow replete with large boulders up to 13 feet (4 m) in diameter. The flow buried Highway 706 in 28 feet (9 m) of sediment and watery debris. Deposits from the 1947 mudflow can still be seen today. Smaller flows occurred in the years 1961, 1985 and 1986.