Puyallup Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Puyallup Glacier |
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Puyallup Glacier and Puyallup Cleaver
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Mount Rainier, Pierce County, Washington, USA |
| Coordinates | 46°50′59″N 121°49′27″W / 46.84972°N 121.82417°W |
| Area | 2.0 square miles (5.2 km2), 1983 |
The Puyallup Glacier is a large glacier found on the western side of Mount Rainier. Mount Rainier is a famous volcano located in Washington, USA. This glacier is a huge, slow-moving river of ice. It plays an important role in the local environment.
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What is the Puyallup Glacier?
The Puyallup Glacier is one of many glaciers on Mount Rainier. It is made of compacted snow and ice that has built up over many years. Glaciers move very slowly, like a frozen river. They shape the land around them as they slide.
Where is the Puyallup Glacier?
This glacier is located on the west side of Mount Rainier. It is in Pierce County, Washington. The glacier gets its ice from a high area called the Sunset Amphitheater. This area is like a large bowl filled with ice.
How the Glacier Flows
The Puyallup Glacier starts high up on the mountain. It splits off from another ice stream. This split happens at about 8,500 feet (2,591 meters) high. From there, the glacier spreads out. It forms a wide sheet of ice. This wide part is between 8,400 feet (2,560 meters) and 7,400 feet (2,256 meters) in elevation.
As it moves lower, the glacier gets narrower. It flows down a small valley. Then, it turns towards the northwest. The ice picks up dirt and rocks as it moves. This makes the lower part of the glacier look dirty. It finally ends on rough, steep ground. This happens at about 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) above sea level.
How Big is the Puyallup Glacier?
The Puyallup Glacier is quite large. It covers an area of about 2.0 square miles (5.2 square kilometers). Imagine an area bigger than 1,200 football fields! It holds a huge amount of ice. In fact, it contains about 10.2 billion cubic feet (289 million cubic meters) of ice. That's enough ice to fill many, many Olympic-sized swimming pools!
What Does the Glacier Do?
Glaciers are important sources of water. As the ice melts, it forms rivers and streams. The Puyallup Glacier is the source of the Puyallup River. This river flows from the glacier down the mountain. It provides water for many plants, animals, and people in the region. The river is named after the Puyallup people. They are a Native American tribe who have lived in the area for a long time.
