Wintun Glacier

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Wintun Glacier
Type Mountain glacier
Location California, U.S.
Coordinates 41°24′19″N, 122°10′53″W
Area 0.5 miles² (1.2 km²)
Length 1.3 miles (2.1 km)
Thickness average 68 ft (20 m)
Terminus moraine
Status expanding

The Wintun Glacier is a glacier situated on the eastern flank of Mount Shasta, in the U.S. state of California.[1][2] It is both the third largest and third most voluminous glacier in California after the neighboring Hotlum Glacier and the Whitney Glacier. [3] The Wintun Glacier starts on the east side of Mount Shasta's main summit, and it has the highest permanent snow and ice on the mountain, reaching above 14,100 ft (4,300 m) to within a few dozen feet (~8-15 m) of the true summit[4]. The glacier flows east down a steep slope and terminates in two lobes, the longer of which extends down near 9,800 ft (3,000 m)[4].

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 Glaciers nearly doubling, the Bolam Glacier increasing by half, and the Whitney and Konwakiton Glaciers growing by a third.[5] [6] [7]

[edit] Cited references

  1. ^ Existing Glaciers of Mount Shasta. College of the Siskiyous. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  2. ^ Glaciers of California. Glaciers of the American West. Glaciers Online. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  3. ^ Driedger, Carolyn L.; Kennard, Paul M. (1986). Ice volumes on Cascade volcanoes; Mount Rainier, Mount Hood, Three Sisters, and Mount Shasta. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1365. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  4. ^ a b Google Earth elevation for GNIS coordinates.
  5. ^ Harris, Stephen L. (2005). Fire Mountains of the West: The Cascade and Mono Lake Volcanoes (3rd ed.). Mountain Press Publishing Company, p. 109. ISBN 0-87842-511-X. 
  6. ^ Wong, Kathleen. California Glaciers. California Wild. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
  7. ^ Whitney, David. "A growing glacier: Mount Shasta bucks global trend, and researchers cite warming phenomena", The Bee, September 4, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-01-23. 

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Glaciers of Mount Shasta
Bolam • Hotlum • Konwakiton • Mud Creek • Watkins • Whitney • Wintun


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