Glacier Peak

Description

Glacier Peak, also called Dakobed, is a tall volcano in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the fourth tallest peak in the state and can be seen from Seattle and areas north of Vancouver, like New Westminster and Port Coquitlam. This volcano is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and is very isolated from other nearby volcanoes.

Local Native Americans have long known about Glacier Peak and shared stories about it. When explorers first came to the area, they did not realize Glacier Peak was a volcano. It is located only about 70 miles northeast of downtown Seattle, making it closer to the city than the famous Mount Rainier, though it is shorter and harder to notice.

Activity

Glacier Peak has been very active in the past. It had eruptions as recently as around the year 1700. The volcano formed about one million years ago and has had some of the biggest and most powerful eruptions in Washington. In the last 3,000 years, it has erupted explosively five times.

Geology

Glacier Peak has old lava domes at the top and near a peak called Disappointment Peak. You can see old deposits from fast-moving flows of hot rock and gas near the volcano. These likely came from the collapse of the lava domes. Long ago, mudflows called lahars ran down valleys.

The volcano has had many mudflows and small eruptions that left ash layers. There are three spots on the mountain where lava formed small cones. A few hot springs used to flow there.

Tectonic setting

The volcano is in Washington, part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It formed because the Juan de Fuca Plate is slowly moving under the North American Plate. This area has been active for millions of years, with eruptions happening at different times.

History

Many Native American people lived near Glacier Peak and saw it as a spirit. European explorers heard stories about the mountain but didn’t map it at first. In 1850, a naturalist named George Gibbs learned that the volcano had once "smoked." It was put on a map in 1898.

The area was important for Native American farming. Later, gold miners came looking for treasure. The first white man known to see the mountain was Daniel Lindsley. He worked for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company and was looking for possible routes for railroads in 1870.

Eruptive history

Glacier Peak is a smaller volcano compared to nearby ones, even though it is very tall at 10,541 feet. Its volcanic activity happens in a smaller area above the surrounding ridge.

Glacier Peak has had big eruptions in the past 15,000 years, like Mount St. Helens. These eruptions happen when thick magma builds up and then explodes, sending out ash and other materials. Scientists have found evidence of eruptions around the years 1700 AD, 1300 AD, 900 AD, 200 AD, 850 BC, 3150 BC, and 3550 BC. These eruptions were smaller than the big eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, and they created different kinds of flows and deposits.

About 13,000 years ago, Glacier Peak had a series of nine big eruptions in a short time. These caused fast-moving mudflows called lahars, which filled river valleys with deep mud. The mudflows spread as far as Puget Sound, leaving thick layers of sediment. Most of the ash from these eruptions went high into the sky and traveled hundreds of miles.

Hazards

There is a small chance, about 1 in 1,000 years, that Glacier Peak could erupt again. It is considered one of the more dangerous volcanoes in the United States because of this risk. If lahars happen again, they could danger small communities like Darrington, Arlington, and Concrete, and also affect larger towns such as Mount Vernon and Burlington. Scientists want to add more monitoring equipment to watch the volcano better, but there have been challenges because of rules protecting the wilderness area.

Climate

Glaciers

Glacier Peak has eleven big glaciers. When a person named C.E. Rusk saw them in 1906, they were starting to shrink but were still large. From a cold time called the Little Ice Age to 1958, these glaciers moved back. Later, in the early 1950s, the glaciers grew again because there was more snow in winter and cooler summers. This growth stopped around 1978.

From 1984 to 2005, the glaciers moved back again. One glacier, Milk Lake Glacier, completely disappeared in the 1990s. Because the Earth is getting warmer, the area covered by ice has shrunk and is expected to almost vanish by 2075.

Recreation

The Pacific Crest Trail comes close to Glacier Peak. One special place is where the Suiattle River meets the trail. There was once a bridge there, but it was washed away by big storms in 2003.

The first people to climb the mountain were Thomas Gerdine and scientists from the United States Geological Survey in 1897. Climbing this mountain can be a little hard, rated as Alpine Grade I or II.

For skiing, the easiest way is about 5 miles along the White Chuck River Trail and up the Sitkum Glacier. You can get to this trail by using Forest Service Road No. 23. This ski route is not too hard but can be tricky when going up and down.

Cultural references

The composer Alan Hovhaness lived in Seattle. He wrote a piece of music called "Hymn to Glacier Peak" as his Symphony no. 66. You can learn more about it at Symphony no.66 (Hovhaness).

A book named Encounters with the Archdruid by John McPhee talks about a person named David Brower. The book begins with a story about a disagreement over mining near Glacier Peak.