Zigzag Glacier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zigzag Glacier |
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 Zigzag Glacier
Location in Oregon
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| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Clackamas County, Oregon, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 45°21′48″N 121°42′44″W / 45.3634513°N 121.7122986°W |
| Area | 190 acres (77 ha) |
| Length | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
Zigzag Glacier is a cool mountain glacier found on the upper southwest side of Mount Hood in Oregon, USA. It's like a giant, slow-moving river of ice! This glacier helps feed the Zigzag River.
Where is Zigzag Glacier?
The Zigzag Glacier is located high up on Mount Hood. It stretches from about 10,200 feet (3,100 m) down to 7,200 feet (2,200 m) in elevation. Some parts of the glacier even reach down into canyons at about 6,400 feet (2,000 m). Most of this icy area is inside the beautiful Mount Hood Wilderness.
The very top of the glacier is near a rocky spot called Crater Rock. On its eastern side, the Zigzag Glacier is next to the Palmer Glacier. The Palmer Glacier is a well-known place for skiing and has been popular since the 1930s. To the northwest, the Zigzag Glacier is bordered by the Reid Glacier.
How Big is the Glacier?
The Zigzag Glacier covers about 190 acres (77 ha) and is about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) long. It is the starting point for the Zigzag River. This river has carved out a deep, steep valley called Zigzag Canyon. Below the main glacier, there's a large area of snow that changes a lot with the seasons. Sometimes, this snowfield can be almost two miles (3.2 km) longer or shorter!
What Happened in 1922?
In 1922, something interesting happened at Zigzag Glacier. A sudden flood of water and mud, called a jökulhlaup, burst out from a crack high up on the glacier. A jökulhlaup is a type of glacial outburst flood, meaning water trapped under or within a glacier suddenly breaks free.
This dark flow traveled over the surface of the glacier for more than 650 m (2100 ft) before disappearing into another crack. When people saw this dark material flowing, some thought that Mount Hood was erupting! Luckily, it was just water and debris from the glacier, not a volcano erupting.
