South Tahoma Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Tahoma Glacier |
|
|---|---|
| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Mount Rainier, Pierce County, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 46°49′27″N 121°48′17″W / 46.82417°N 121.80472°W |
| Area | 1.1 square miles (2.8 km2), 1983 |
The South Tahoma Glacier is a large ice river found on the southwest side of Mount Rainier in Washington State. It covers about 1.1 square miles (2.8 square kilometers). This glacier holds a lot of ice, enough to fill about 4.6 billion cubic feet!
It starts high up on the mountain, around 10,600 feet (3,200 meters) high. From there, it slowly flows downhill towards the southwest. A bigger glacier, the Tahoma Glacier, is nearby to the north. The South Tahoma Glacier connects to the Tahoma Glacier with a patch of ice partway down. As it flows, it picks up rocks and dirt. It finally ends at an elevation of about 5,100 feet (1,600 meters). Water from the melting glacier flows into the Nisqually River.
Glacier Mudslides
The South Tahoma Glacier is one of four glaciers on Mount Rainier known for causing "debris flows." These are like fast-moving mudslides made of water, ice, rocks, and dirt. Other glaciers that have caused similar flows include the Nisqually Glacier, Kautz Glacier, and Winthrop Glacier.
Since 1967, the South Tahoma Glacier has caused at least 23 recorded debris flows. Many of these happened between 1986 and 1992. These powerful flows have sometimes damaged roads and picnic areas located downstream. For example, in August 2015, a debris flow happened after a sudden release of meltwater from the glacier. This event, called a glacial outburst flood, damaged part of the Westside Road.
A Look Back in Time
The South Tahoma Glacier is also known for a sad event that happened a long time ago. In December 1946, a military plane crashed into the glacier. The plane, a Curtiss R5C Commando, was carrying 32 U.S. Marines. It crashed at about 10,500 feet (3,200 meters) up on the glacier.
At the time, this was the worst aviation accident in U.S. history. Over the next year, people tried to find the plane and the Marines. They found much of the wreckage and some items, but not all. Today, it is believed that parts of the plane and the Marines are still buried deep within the glacier's ice.
