Hudson Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hudson Glacier |
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 Hudson Glacier
Location in Montana
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Glacier National Park, Glacier County, Montana, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 48°57′53″N 114°02′41″W / 48.96472°N 114.04472°W |
| Area | Approximately 8 acres (0.032 km2) in 2005 |
| Length | .15 mi (0.24 km) |
| Terminus | Moraine and talus |
| Status | Retreating |
Hudson Glacier is a small but important glacier found in the Glacier National Park in Montana, a state in the United States. Glaciers are like very slow-moving rivers of ice. This particular glacier is located in a special bowl-shaped valley called a cirque. It sits high up in the mountains, about 7,500 feet (2,300 m) to 7,200 feet (2,200 m) above sea level.
Where is Hudson Glacier?
Hudson Glacier is located in the beautiful Glacier National Park. This park is famous for its stunning mountains, forests, and, of course, its glaciers. The glacier is found just east of the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is like a giant line that runs through the Americas. On one side, rivers flow towards the Atlantic Ocean, and on the other, they flow towards the Pacific Ocean.
The glacier is also about half a mile south of two lakes, Lake Nooney and Lake Wurdeman.
How Big is Hudson Glacier?
In 2005, Hudson Glacier covered an area of about 8 acres (0.032 km2). To give you an idea, one acre is roughly the size of a football field. So, the glacier was about eight football fields big.
Sometimes, for a glacier to be called "active," it needs to be at least 25 acres (0.10 km2) in size. This means Hudson Glacier is smaller than what is often considered an active glacier.
Why is Hudson Glacier Shrinking?
Sadly, Hudson Glacier has been getting much smaller over the years. Between 1966 and 2005, it lost more than 66 percent of its total area. This means it shrank by more than two-thirds!
Glaciers around the world are shrinking due to climate change, which causes temperatures to rise. As the Earth gets warmer, glaciers melt faster than new snow and ice can form. This makes them retreat, or get smaller. The shrinking of glaciers like Hudson Glacier is a clear sign of how our planet's climate is changing.
