Mount Rainier has a new tallest point, which is considerably shorter than it used to be.
In a discovery that has literally changed the landscape of the Pacific Northwest, Mount Rainier—Washington state's towering icon—has been found to be shorter than previously known.A local scientist and mountaineer has confirmed that the volcano's famous summit point has shifted and shrunk, marking a significant change in the mountain's geography.
'The summit area of Mt Rainier has a crater rim that melts out to rock every summer, but there has historically been a permanent dome of ice on the west edge of the rim,' Gilbertson said.That ice dome is the Columbia Crest. Official measurements of a permanent ice cap such as this are usually made in late summer, when the ice cap is at its lowest point. Gilbertson added: 'Measuring at this time of year ensures seasonal snow does not count towards the summit elevation.
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