One of the snowiest places on Earth is losing its glaciers
The result could be massive flooding during extreme weather.
This story appears in the May 2019 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Washington’s Mount Rainier boasts the largest collection of glaciers on a single peak in the contiguous United States. But those glaciers have lost approximately 18 percent of their volume since 1970. The most substantial thinning is occurring on south-facing glaciers and at elevations below 6,562 feet (2,000 meters). During extreme weather this could set the stage for massive floods and debris flows in the park and surrounding areas.
