Boston Glacier is located in a large cirque below several mountain peaks in

North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is an American national park in the state of Washington. At more than , it is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National P ...

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 which 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 freque ...

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. Ma ...

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 .

References

Glaciers of the North Cascades Glaciers of Skagit County, Washington Glaciers of Washington (state) North Cascades National Park {{Washington-glacier-stub

See also

References