Wheeler Peak Glacier
| 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°WCoordinates: 38°59′09″N 114°18′50″W / 38.98583°N 114.31389°W |
| Length | .20 mi (0.32 km) |
| Terminus | Talus |
| Status | Retreating |
Wheeler Peak Glacier is a glacier situated at the base of Wheeler Peak within Great Basin National Park in the U.S. state of Nevada. It has been called the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere but is much further north than Mount Everest and glaciers of the Himalaya and also further north than Palisade Glacier in California. At a height of 13,063 feet (3,982 m) Wheeler Peak is the tallest mountain in the Snake Range and the second tallest mountain in Nevada. The mountain top is also considered to be a horn, a peak carved and shaped by glaciers over a long period of time.
The Wheeler Peak glacier can be considered an alpine glacier which started melting at 9,000 feet (2,700 m) and the effects of the glacier can easily be seen by observing the pathways (slopes, canyons, and streams) that the melting glacial water has cut through over several years. The glacier is also unique in that it contains many rocks and minerals, including limestone (found in the Lehman Caves), marble, sandstone, shale, quartzite, granite, aragonite, moonmilk, and gypsum.
At about 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) in size, the Wheeler Peak Glacier is fairly small, and is generally considered to be an alpine glacier. This type of small glacier is generally found in mountainous terrain, and is also sometimes referred to as a "mountain", "niche", or "cirque" glacier.
The ice visible on the surface is only a portion of the whole glacier, the rest is covered with debris and therefore considered to be a rock glacier.
Looking at the glacier, it is easy to see arc-shaped ridges on the ice surface. The curvature is due to the way the glacier has grown; ice mass near the midline of the glacier creep faster than those on either side, causing the curvature. Because Wheeler Peak has a northeast-facing headwall, it has perennial snow, and is able to protect the glacier from the sun.
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Wikipedia