Historically, Mount Rainier’s height was 14,410 feet (4,391.57 meters), but scientists found that the volcanic mountain has shrunk by 10 feet (3,048 meters) since 1998.
The reduction in elevation was caused by the retreat of Rainier’s ancient ice sheet, Columbia Crest, which melted by about 22 feet (6.71 metres).
It is possible that the increase in the use of fossil fuels and rising temperatures have contributed to the significant loss of ice, as the research team reported that Mount Rainier lost 42% of its ice over the past 120 years.
Mount Rainier is known for having the highest volcanic peak in the continental United States and the largest ice cave system in the world. However, a recent discovery has changed the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, after Eric Gilbertson, a mountaineer and mechanical engineer, announced his new observation on August 28.
“The summit of Mount Rainier has a crater rim that melts into rock every summer, but historically, there was a permanent ice dome on the western edge of the crater,” Gilbertson explained in a blog post.
The height of Mount Rainier was first measured in 1914, and Columbia Peak was considered the highest peak in Washington until 1956. However, new measurements by Gilbertson indicate that the crater’s 14,399-foot (4,389.48 m) southwest rim exceeds Columbia Peak. In 2014, this knocked it out of first place.
The height of Washington’s mountain peaks changes throughout the year due to the accumulation of ice in the winter and its melting in the summer, which requires scientists to document the height of the peaks at their lowest glacial levels.
This is what prompted Gilbertson to make his measurements in the summer.
Although Gilbertson’s new measurements have not yet been officially approved, they are under study by the Mount Rainier National Park administration, which will soon decide whether to conduct a new survey of the mountain or accept Gilbertson’s results.
While Gilbertson did not directly indicate the reasons behind this melting, meteorologists attribute the phenomenon to the warming of the atmosphere resulting from fossil fuel emissions.
Source: Daily Mail
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