Meade Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Meade Glacier |
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 Meade Glacier
Location in Washington (state)
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Coordinates | 46°29′08″N 121°24′03″W / 46.48556°N 121.40083°W |
| Length | .15 mi (0.24 km) |
| Terminus | Barren rock |
| Status | Retreating |
Meade Glacier is a cool ice formation found high up in the mountains of Washington state, in the USA. It's located in a wild and beautiful area called the Goat Rocks region. This glacier is part of the Goat Rocks Wilderness, which is inside the huge Snoqualmie National Forest. You can find it about .25 mi (0.40 km) south of another glacier called Conrad Glacier. It's also right next to Gilbert Peak.
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What is a Glacier?
A glacier is like a giant, slow-moving river of ice. It forms over many years when snow falls and doesn't melt. Instead, it gets packed down and turns into ice. Glaciers move very slowly, carving out valleys and shaping the land around them. They are important because they store a lot of fresh water.
How Glaciers Form and Move
Glaciers grow when more snow falls than melts each year. This new snow piles up and compresses the snow below it into ice. Over time, the weight of the ice makes the glacier slowly slide downhill. This movement is what makes glaciers so powerful at shaping mountains.
Meade Glacier's Unique Sections
Meade Glacier is a bit special because it's split into three different parts. This means it's not one solid block of ice. The lower part of the glacier is called the ablation zone. This is where the ice melts faster than it forms. For Meade Glacier, this zone is at about 6,400 ft (2,000 m) elevation.
Accumulation and Ablation Zones
The upper part of the glacier is called the accumulation zone. This is where new snow falls and turns into ice, adding to the glacier's size. For Meade Glacier, this zone is much higher, at about 7,800 ft (2,400 m). The interesting thing about Meade Glacier is that its lower melting zone is not connected to its upper snow-gathering zone. This separation can happen when a glacier is shrinking.
Why is Meade Glacier Retreating?
The infobox tells us that Meade Glacier is "retreating." This means it's getting smaller. When a glacier retreats, it melts faster than it can grow. This can be a sign of changes in the climate, like warmer temperatures. Many glaciers around the world are currently retreating.
The Importance of Glaciers
Glaciers are like giant thermometers for our planet. When they shrink, it often shows that the Earth's climate is getting warmer. They also provide important water sources for rivers and streams, especially in dry seasons. Studying glaciers like Meade Glacier helps scientists understand more about our environment.
