Wheeler Peak Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wheeler Peak Glacier |
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Wheeler Peak Glacier as it appeared in September 2014
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 Wheeler Peak Glacier
Location in Nevada
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| Type | Rock and ice glacier |
| Location | Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park, White Pine County, Nevada, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 38°59′09″N 114°18′50″W / 38.98583°N 114.31389°W |
| Length | .20 mi (0.32 km) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
The Wheeler Peak Glacier is a cool ice giant. You can find it at the bottom of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park, Nevada. Some people used to think it was the most southern glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. But it's actually much further north than places like Mount Everest.
At 13,063 feet (3,982 m) tall, Wheeler Peak is the highest mountain in the Snake Range. It's also the second highest mountain in Nevada. The very top of the mountain is shaped like a 'horn.' This means it was carved by glaciers over many, many years.
The Wheeler Peak Glacier is an alpine glacier. It started melting at about 9,000 feet (2,700 m). You can easily see how the melting water has carved paths. These paths include slopes, canyons, and streams. The glacier is also special because it holds many rocks and minerals. These include limestone, marble, sandstone, and granite.
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What is the Wheeler Peak Glacier?
The Wheeler Peak Glacier is pretty small. It's about 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) in size. It's known as an alpine glacier. This type of small glacier is usually found in mountains. People sometimes call it a "mountain" or "cirque" glacier.
The ice you see on top is only part of the glacier. The rest is covered with rocks and dirt. Because of this, it's also called a rock glacier.
How does the glacier move?
If you look closely, you'll see curved ridges on the ice. These curves happen because the ice in the middle moves faster. It creeps along quicker than the ice on the sides. This causes the glacier to curve as it grows.
Wheeler Peak has a northeast-facing headwall. This means it gets snow all year round. This helps protect the glacier from the sun's rays.
How to see the glacier
You can see the glacier from a few spots in the park. The only place you can see it from a road is the Wheeler Peak Overlook. This is on the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The glacier is at the bottom of the big rock face of Wheeler Peak.
Hiking to the glacier
You can hike to the bottom of the glacier. Use the Bristlecone/Glacier Trail. This hike is about 4.6 miles (7.4 km) roundtrip. The trail starts at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. It climbs from 9,800 feet (3,000 m) to about 10,900 feet (3,300 m). Hikers should be careful on the trail. Some boulders might be loose, and small rockslides can happen.
What's happening to the glacier?
The Wheeler Peak Glacier is a leftover from the last glacial maximum. That was a time when the Earth was much colder. It was about 8 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than today. During that time, glaciers reached as low as 9,200 feet (2,800 m).
But then, the Earth started warming up. This warming began about 10,000 years ago. It caused many glaciers to melt. Since 1850, glaciers all over the world have been shrinking. Scientists believe the Wheeler Peak Glacier will likely disappear. This could happen within the next 20 years.
