Cosho Peak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cosho Peak |
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Cosho Preak (left) and Kimtah Peak (right)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 8,332 ft (2,540 m) |
| Prominence | 492 ft (150 m) |
| Geography | |
 Cosho Peak
Location in Washington (state)
Cosho Peak
Location in the United States
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| Location | Skagit County, Washington, U.S. |
| Parent range | Cascade Range |
| Topo map | USGS Mount Logan |
Cosho Peak is a mountain in North Cascades National Park in the state of Washington, U.S. It stands tall at 8,332 feet (2,540 m) (about 2,540 meters). Cosho Peak is part of a long line of mountains called Ragged Ridge. The Kimtah Glacier, a large body of ice, sits on the northeast side of the peak.
Weather at Cosho Peak
Cosho Peak is in a special climate zone called the marine west coast climate. This means it gets a lot of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. Most of the weather systems start over the Pacific Ocean. They then travel northeast towards the Cascade Mountains.
When these weather systems reach the tall Cascade Mountains, the air is forced to rise. As the air goes up, it cools down and drops its moisture. This process is called Orographic lift. It causes a lot of rain or snow to fall on the mountains. Because of this, the western side of the North Cascades gets a lot of rain and snow. This is especially true during the winter months.
In winter, the weather is often cloudy. But in summer, high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean become stronger. This often leads to clear skies and sunny weather.
How Cosho Peak Was Formed
The North Cascades area has some of the most rugged land in the Cascade Range. You can see sharp peaks, rocky ridges, and deep valleys carved by glaciers. There are also tall, pointed rocks made of granite. These amazing shapes and big changes in height were created by geological events over millions of years. These events also led to the different climates you find in the Cascade Range.
The Cascade Mountains started forming millions of years ago. This was during a time called the late Eocene Epoch. The North American Plate (a huge piece of Earth's crust) was slowly moving over the Pacific Plate. This movement caused many periods of volcanic activity. Also, small pieces of the Earth's crust, called terranes, came together. These terranes helped create the North Cascades about 50 million years ago.
Later, during the Pleistocene period (which began over two million years ago), huge sheets of ice called glaciers moved across the land. These glaciers advanced and then melted back many times. As they moved, they scraped and shaped the landscape. They left behind piles of rock and debris. The river valleys in the area have a U-shape. This U-shape is a clear sign of recent glaciation.
The main forces that created the tall peaks and deep valleys of the North Cascades are uplift (when land is pushed up) and faulting (when cracks form in the Earth's crust and move). These forces, combined with the powerful action of glaciers, shaped the mountains we see today.
