Switch Glacier: Carbon GlacierColumbia Crest GlacierCowlitz GlacierEdmunds GlacierEmmons GlacierFlett GlacierFryingpan GlacierIngraham GlacierInter GlacierKautz GlacierLiberty Cap GlacierMuir SnowfieldNisqually GlacierNorth Mowich GlacierOhanapecosh GlacierParadise GlacierPuyallup GlacierPyramid GlaciersRussell GlacierSarvent GlaciersSouth Mowich GlacierSouth Tahoma GlacierStevens GlacierSuccess GlacierTahoma GlacierVan Trump GlaciersWhitman GlacierWilson GlacierWinthrop Glacier

NOTE: This page has been updated to show 2021 extents and changes

Wilson Glacier
On the southern slope of Mount Rainier connected to the Nisqually Glacier this glacier was named for A.D. Wilson who, with S.F. Emmons, made the second successful ascent of the mountain achieving the summit on October 17, 1870. Dee Molenaar called Wilson and his associate Emmons "...world-renowned geologists working on the survey of the fortieth parallel." (Reese, 2009)

STATISTICS AS OF 2021 (Beason et al., 2022): Aerial Extent: 0.564 ± 0.032 square miles (1.461 ± 0.083 km2) (Rank: 17 of 29) Debris Cover (Based on Beason, 2017 - not updated in 2021): 0.051 ± 0.004 square miles (0.133 ± 0.011 km2) (Rank: 2 of 29) Estimated Glacial Volume: (See notes below) 0.0080 cubic miles (0.0334 km3) Highest Elevation (Head): 10,801 feet (3,292 m) Lowest Elevation (Terminus): 6,735 feet (2,053 m) Elevation Range: 4,066 feet (1,239 m) Length: 1.31 miles (2.11 km) Average Slope: 26° Average Flow Direction (Flows towards): Southeast (142°)

CHANGE IN EXTENT, 1896-2015 (Beason, 2017): Units 1896 1913 1971 1994 2009 2015 2021 Area, mi2 -- -- -- -- -- 0.603 0.564 Area, km2 -- -- -- -- -- 1.562 1.461 Area change between periods 1913 1971 1994 2009 2015 2021 1896 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.604 mi2 (1.563 km2) 0.564 mi2 (1.462 km2) 1913 -- 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.604 mi2 (1.563 km2) 0.564 mi2 (1.462 km2) 1971 -- 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.604 mi2 (1.563 km2) 0.564 mi2 (1.462 km2) 1994 -- 0.000 mi2 (0.000 km2) 0.604 mi2 (1.563 km2) 0.564 mi2 (1.462 km2) 2009 -- 0.604 mi2 (1.563 km2) 0.564 mi2 (1.462 km2) 2015 -- -0.039 mi2 (-0.101 km2) Percent change between periods 1913 1971 1994 2009 2015 2021 1896 0.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % -155,562.79 % -145,470.35 % 1913 -- 0.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % -155,562.79 % -145,470.35 % 1971 -- 0.00 % 0.00 % -155,562.79 % -145,470.35 % 1994 -- 0.00 % -155,562.79 % -145,470.35 % 2009 -- -155,562.79 % -145,470.35 % 2015 -- -6.49 %

ESTIMATED CHANGE IN VOLUME, 1896-2021 (Beason et al., 2022; George and Beason, 2017): PLEASE see important notes about this, below... Units 1896 1913 1971 1981* 1994 2009 2015 2021 Volume, mi3 -- -- -- 0.0129 -- -- 0.0087 0.0080 Volume, km3 -- -- -- 0.0538 -- -- 0.0361 0.0334 * = 1981 was the only year that glacial volumes have been measured. See note below. Basal Shear Stress (τ): 2,671.62 lbs/ft2 Volume change between periods 1913 1971 1981 1994 2009 2015 2021 1896 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0129 mi3 (0.0538 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0087 mi3 (0.0361 km3) 0.0080 mi3 (0.0334 km3) 1913 -- 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0129 mi3 (0.0538 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0087 mi3 (0.0361 km3) 0.0080 mi3 (0.0334 km3) 1971 -- 0.0129 mi3 (0.0538 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0087 mi3 (0.0361 km3) 0.0080 mi3 (0.0334 km3) 1981 -- -0.0129 mi3 (-0.0538 km3) -0.0129 mi3 (-0.0538 km3) -0.0043 mi3 (-0.0177 km3) -0.0049 mi3 (-0.0204 km3) 1994 -- 0.0000 mi3 (0.0000 km3) 0.0087 mi3 (0.0361 km3) 0.0080 mi3 (0.0334 km3) 2009 -- 0.0087 mi3 (0.0361 km3) 0.0080 mi3 (0.0334 km3) 2015 -- -0.0006 mi3 (-0.0026 km3) Percent change between periods 1913 1971 1981 1994 2009 2015 2021 1896 0.00 % 0.00 % -5,380,292.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % -3,605,672.01 % -3,343,682.35 % 1913 -- 0.00 % -5,380,292.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % -3,605,672.01 % -3,343,682.35 % 1971 -- -5,380,292.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % -3,605,672.01 % -3,343,682.35 % 1981 -- -100.00 % -100.00 % -32.98 % -37.85 % 1994 -- 0.00 % -3,605,672.01 % -3,343,682.35 % 2009 -- -3,605,672.01 % -3,343,682.35 % 2015 -- -7.27 % With the exception of data in 1981, all values here are calculated estimates based on work by Driedger and Kennard (1986), which calculates glacier volumes with the following equations: If Glacier Length (L) > 8,500 ft: If Glacier Length (L) < 8,500 ft: Basal shear stress (τ) is calculated as: Where V is the calculated volume of the glacier (ft3), A is the calculated area of the glacier (ft2), ρ is the density of ice (1.779 slug/ft3), g is the acceleration of gravity (32.178 ft/s2), and α is the average slope of the glacier. If you need a really good research project, recalculating the glacier volumes at Mount Rainier is the way to go!

NOTES:
This glacier flows into the Nisqually Glacier. Extent of this glacier from 1896-2009 was included with the combined Nisqually/Wilson Glacier system. See Nisqually Glacier for extent change over time.

Data References: Beason et al., 2022, Beason, 2017, George and Beason, 2017, Reese, 2009, and Driedger and Kennard, 1986