Wheeler Peak Glacier

Wheeler Peak Glacier is a glacier situated at the base of Wheeler Peak within Great Basin National Park in the U.S. state of Nevada. At a height of 13,063 feet Wheeler Peak is the tallest mountain in the Snake Range and the second tallest mountain in The Great Basin and Nevada. The mountaintop is also considered a horn which is a peak that has been carved and shaped by glaciers over a long period of time. There are valleys around the glacier that were created by the glacier cutting through the earth. As a result of this type of glacial movement, moraines, accumulated earth and stone left by the glacier, have developed around these valleys. In addition, there are several large depressions in the ground that were created by the glacier; these depressions were eventually filled with water resulting in large lakes known as tarns. The most surprising fact of all is that the Wheeler Peak Glacier is a surviving piece of the Ice Age. This gives us a glimpse of what the Snake Range would have looked like when it was masked by large glaciers just a few thousand years ago. Past glacial activity can be detected by analyzing the piles of boulders, gravel, sand and other debris that form rock structures in mounds and ridges. In addition, tarns are existing proof of past glacial activity. The Wheeler Peak glacier can be considered an alpine glacier which started melting at 9,000 feet (2,700 m) and the effects of the glacier can easily be seen by observing the pathways (slopes, canyons, and streams) that the melting glacial water has cut through over several years.The glacier is also unique in that it contains many rocks and minerals, including limestone (found in the Lehman Caves), marble, sandstone, shale, quartzite, granite, aragonite, moonmilk, and gypsum.