Mount Castner is a elevation glaciated summit located west of
Valdez in the
Chugach Mountains
The Chugach Mountains of southern Alaska are the northernmost of the several mountain ranges that make up the Pacific Coast Ranges of the western edge of North America. The range is about long and wide, and extends from the Knik and Turnagain ...
of the
U.S. state of
Alaska
Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...
, on land managed by
Chugach National Forest
The Chugach National Forest is a United States National Forest in south central Alaska. Covering portions of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula and the Copper River Delta, it was formed in 1907 from part of a larger forest reserve. The Ch ...
. It is situated at the head of Ranney Glacier and
Dartmouth Glacier. Although modest in elevation,
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...
is significant since the mountain rises from tidewater at Unakwik Inlet and
College Fjord
College Fjord is a fjord located in the northern sector of Prince William Sound in the U.S. state of Alaska. The fjord contains five tidewater glaciers (glaciers that terminate in water), five large valley glaciers, and dozens of smaller glaciers ...
of
Prince William Sound
Prince William Sound (Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the Tr ...
in approximately three miles. The mountain's name was applied in 1910 by
Lawrence Martin, and officially adopted by the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
. This peak's name honors
Joseph Compton Castner
Joseph Compton Castner (November 18, 1869 - July 8, 1946) was a United States Army general. He commanded the Ninth Infantry Brigade in all its operations as a part of the Fifth Division, American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) during the final month ...
(1869–1946), who was with Captain
Edwin F. Glenn during the exploration of this area in 1898.
Climate
Based on the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Mount Castner is located in a
subarctic climate
The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...
zone with long, cold, snowy winters, and mild summers.
Weather systems coming off the
Gulf of Alaska are forced upwards by the Chugach Mountains (
orographic lift), causing heavy precipitation in the form of rainfall and snowfall. Temperatures can drop below −20 °C with wind chill factors below −30 °C. This climate supports the
Meares and
Yale Glaciers surrounding this mountain. The months May through June offer the most favorable weather for climbing or viewing.
See also
*
List of mountain peaks of Alaska
*
Geography of Alaska
*
Mount Glenn
References
External links
* Weather
Mount Castner
{{DEFAULTSORT:Castner
Landforms of Chugach Census Area, Alaska
Mountains of Alaska
North American 1000 m summits