| Cowlitz Glacier | |
|---|---|
 Upper Cowlitz Glacier (right center) | |
  Cowlitz Glacier | |
| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Mount Rainier National Park,Pierce County, Washington,USA |
| Coordinates | 46°49′50″N121°43′02″W / 46.83056°N 121.71722°W /46.83056; -121.71722[1] |
| Area | 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2) |
| Status | Retreating |
TheCowlitz Glacier is on the southeast flank ofMount Rainier in theU.S. state ofWashington.[2] The body of ice covers 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2) and has a volume of 6 billion ft3 (170 million m3). The glacier starts at an elevation of 10,700 feet (3,300 m) and flows southeast. An adjacent glacier, theParadise Glacier, is connected to this glacier on its southwest margin. As it flows down the slopes of Mount Rainier it nearly meets up with theIngraham Glacier and during theLittle Ice Age, which ended around the year 1850, the two glaciers shared a common terminus.[3] Meltwater from the glacier drains into theCowlitz River.
About 35,000 years ago, the combined Cowlitz and Ingraham glaciers terminated some 62 mi (100 km) from Mount Rainier. As theIce Age ended the glacier retreated north back to Mount Rainier.[3] In recent times, the glacier has retreated and thinned, except for the period between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s, during which the glacier made a notable advance.
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