Winthrop Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Winthrop Glacier |
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Winthrop Glacier descends from the upper left to the lower right
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Mount Rainier, Pierce County, Washington, USA |
| Coordinates | 46°52′34″N 121°44′31″W / 46.87611°N 121.74194°W |
| Area | 3.5 square miles (9.1 km2), 1983 |
The Winthrop Glacier is a very large glacier located on the northeast side of Mount Rainier in Washington, USA. It was named after Theodore Winthrop. This huge body of ice covers about 3.5 square miles (9.1 square kilometers). It holds a lot of ice, roughly 18.5 billion cubic feet (523 million cubic meters).
The glacier starts very high up, at over 14,300 feet (4,359 meters) at a spot called Columbia Crest. From there, it flows north and moves steeply down the bumpy surface of Mount Rainier. Another glacier, the Emmons Glacier, is directly connected to the Winthrop Glacier near a place called Steamboat Prow. After passing the Prow, the two glaciers split. The Emmons Glacier turns east-northeast, while the Winthrop Glacier keeps going northeast.
As the land becomes flatter, the Winthrop Glacier gets covered with a lot of rocks. It finally ends in a forest at about 4,900 feet (1,494 meters). The water that melts from the glacier flows into the White River.
Glacier Mudslides: Debris Flows
The Winthrop Glacier is one of four glaciers on Mount Rainier known for releasing something called debris flows. A debris flow is like a fast-moving mudslide. It's a mix of water, mud, rocks, and sometimes ice that rushes down a mountain.
Other glaciers on Mount Rainier that have also caused similar flows include the Nisqually, Kautz, and South Tahoma glaciers. These flows can be very powerful and change the landscape around the mountain.
