North Swiftcurrent Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids North Swiftcurrent Glacier |
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 North Swiftcurrent Glacier
Location in Montana
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Glacier National Park, Glacier County, Montana, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 48°47′20″N 113°46′08″W / 48.78889°N 113.76889°W |
| Area | Approximately 19 acres (0.077 km2) in 2005 |
| Length | .10 mi (0.16 km) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
North Swiftcurrent Glacier is a glacier located in Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. This beautiful natural ice formation is found in the northern part of the park. It sits high up in the mountains, making it a cool place to explore.
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Where is North Swiftcurrent Glacier?
This glacier is found in a special spot in Montana. It is just east of the Continental Divide. The Continental Divide is like a giant line of mountains that separates which way rivers flow across North America. Rivers on one side flow to the Pacific Ocean, and rivers on the other side flow to the Atlantic Ocean.
North Swiftcurrent Glacier is also located north of a place called Swiftcurrent Mountain. It sits at a very high elevation, between 7,000 and 8,000 feet (about 2,130 to 2,440 meters) above sea level. Imagine being that high up!
How Big is North Swiftcurrent Glacier?
North Swiftcurrent Glacier is not one big sheet of ice. Instead, it is made up of several smaller pieces of ice. These are called "remnant glaciers" and "ice patches." A remnant glacier is a small piece left over from a much larger glacier.
None of these ice pieces are very large. The biggest one is about 19 acres (0.077 square kilometers) in size. To be considered an "active glacier," a glacier usually needs to be at least 25 acres (0.1 square kilometers). Because North Swiftcurrent Glacier's pieces are smaller than this, it is not always called an active glacier.
Why is the Glacier Shrinking?
Like many glaciers around the world, North Swiftcurrent Glacier is getting smaller. Scientists have been watching it closely. Between 1966 and 2005, the glacier lost more than 32 percent of its total area. This means a big part of its ice melted away. This process is called "retreating," and it shows how much our climate is changing.
Images for kids
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North Swiftcurrent Glacier in lower half of frame, viewed from Swiftcurrent Mountain lookout. Iceberg Peak's south aspect in upper right.
