Emmons Glacier - Definition and Overview

Emmons Glacier is a glacier on the northeast flank of Mount Rainier, in Washington. It is the largest glacier (by area) in the continental United States, with a surface area of 4.3 square miles (11 km²).

In the 1930s, the glacier was found to be receding quickly. However, in 1963, a rock fall from Little Tahoma Peak covered the lower glacier with rock debris. The debris cover insulates the ice from melting. As a result of decreased melting, the glacier advanced rapidly in the early 1980s. That advance continues today, but at a slower rate. Ice beneath the rock debris is melting irregularly and forming a vast hummocky area.

Emmons Glacier is often used as a route to climb to the peak of Mount Rainier.

External link and source

• Glaciers of Mount Rainier National Park (http://www.nps.gov/mora/ncrd/glaciers.htm) (public domain source)