Crescent Glacier (Mount Adams) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crescent Glacier |
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 Crescent Glacier
Location in Washington (state)
Crescent Glacier
Location in the United States
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Coordinates | 46°10′01″N 121°29′14″W / 46.16694°N 121.48722°W |
| Area | 0.44 km2 (0.17 sq mi) in 2006 |
| Length | .25 mi (0.40 km) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
Crescent Glacier is a cool natural ice formation found on the southeast side of Mount Adams. This mountain is located in the state of Washington, which is part of the USA. The glacier is also inside the huge Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
About Crescent Glacier
Crescent Glacier is a type of mountain glacier. It is not a huge, flat ice sheet, but rather a body of ice that flows down a mountain. It gets its name, Crescent, because of its curved shape.
Where is it?
Crescent Glacier sits on the lower slopes of Mount Adams. A smaller peak called South Butte is very close by. Another glacier, the Gotchen Glacier, is just to the east of Crescent Glacier. The glacier rests in a bowl-shaped hollow on the mountain. This hollow is called a cirque, and it has a very steep back wall.
How big is it?
In 2006, Crescent Glacier covered about 0.44 square kilometers (or 0.17 square miles). It stretches for about 0.25 miles (0.4 kilometers). The highest part of the glacier is around 8,400 feet (2,560 meters) up the mountain. Its lowest part reaches down to about 7,900 feet (2,408 meters). This lower part ends at a pile of rocks and dirt called a moraine, which the glacier pushed along. One part of the glacier even reaches as low as 7,600 feet (2,316 meters).
What's happening to it?
Like many glaciers around the world, Crescent Glacier is getting smaller. This process is called "retreating." Between 1904 and 2006, the glacier lost 6 percent of its total surface area. This means it covered less ground than it used to. Scientists keep an eye on glaciers like Crescent Glacier to understand how our planet is changing.
