Surprising Reason Why Mt. Rainier Seems To Be Shrinking

Surprising Reason Why Mt. Rainier Seems To Be Shrinking

We talk a lot about climate change and it seems like Mt. Rainier in Washington State is shrinking but you’ll be surprised by how much the mighty mountain has lost.

How Tall Is Mt. Rainier In Washington State?

So back in the day to get an exact reading of the height of Mt. Rainier was quite the undertaking and you’d have a ton of equipment you’d need to get to the top and because of the bulk of the equipment, you’d get a less than accurate measurement.

In an article by mynorthwest.com, Mount Rainier is now 10 feet shorter than previously believed.

Here are the details on the new measurements:

New GPS measurements have determined that the mountain’s highest point, a rocky area along the Southwest rim, now sits at 14,399.6 feet.

The former summit, an ice-capped peak called Columbia Crest, once stood at 14,410 feet but has melted away.

Eric Gilbertson, a mountaineer and engineering professor at Seattle University, hiked to Rainier’s summit in September to measure its height during peak melting season.

The last official measurement by the U.S. Geological Survey was taken around the same time in 1998.

The answer for the shrinkage is pretty simple, the ice is melting, so it will be interesting to see how much more of Mt. Rainier will shrink over time. You can read more about the shrinkage of Mt. Rainier here and here.