Page 102 - Super Earth Encyclopedia

RIVER OF ICE

KASKAWULSH

GLACIER

On mountains and in the polar regions, temperatures
stay so low throughout the year that snow never melts.
Instead, it builds up in deep layers that are compressed
into ice by their own weight. The heavy ice creeps
slowly downhill as a glacier, such as the Kaskawulsh
Glacier in western Canada. It grinds through rock to
create deep valleys, carrying away heaps of shattered
rock on the surface. Small glaciers may join together
to form broader ones and, in cold climates, these may
flow all the way to the sea. The Kaskawulsh Glacier
terminates in the St Elias Mountains, where its
meltwater flows away as rivers.

AT A GLANCE

• LOCATION Kluane National Park,
Yukon Territory, Canada
• LENGTH 47 miles (75 km)
• MAXIMUM WIDTH 3.7 miles (6 km)
• STATUS Retreating to the point
where one of the rivers fed by its
meltwater is drying up

STATS AND FACTS

ICE THICKNESS AREA
Like many glaciers
all over the world, The ice of the The glacier
Kaskawulsh
covers more
the Kaskawulsh
FROZEN WORLD ice is melting at a RATE OF FLOW The glacier ice flows at a speed of
than 9,650 sq miles
Glacier is up
Glacier is getting
to 3,280 ft
(25,000 sq km) of
mountain terrain.
(1,000 m) thick.
shorter because its
higher altitude due
to climate change.
about 500 ft (150 m) per year.

m
150
100
50
500
ft
330
160
100
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