Boston Glacier is located in a large cirque below several mountain peaks in
North Cascades National Park in the
U.S. state of
Washington.
Approximately long but nearly wide, it is the largest glacier in North Cascades National Park. Extending in an arc from the north of
Forbidden Peak, it is flanked by
Boston Peak to the southwest and
Buckner Mountain at its eastern margin, between which it lies below the
arête
An arête ( ; ) is a narrow ridge of rock that separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequ ...
known as Ripsaw Ridge. Another arête extending between Boston Peak,
Sharkfin Tower, Forbidden Peak and further north separate Boston Glacier from the nearly adjoining
Quien Sabe and
Forbidden Glaciers. Boston Glacier has been in an overall state of retreat since the end of the
Little Ice Age
The Little Ice Age (LIA) was a period of regional cooling, particularly pronounced in the North Atlantic region. It was not a true ice age of global extent. The term was introduced into scientific literature by François E. Matthes in 1939. Mat ...
around the year 1850. A moderate advance occurred between 1950 and the mid-1970s; however, the retreat resumed and between 1972 and 2006 its terminus retreated .
See also
*
List of glaciers in the United States
Glaciers are located in ten states, with the vast majority in Alaska. The southernmost named glacier is the Lilliput Glacier in Tulare County, California, Tulare County, east of the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of California.
Apa ...
References
Glaciers of the North Cascades
Glaciers of Skagit County, Washington
Glaciers of Washington (state)
North Cascades National Park
{{Washington-glacier-stub