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Photo by Tom Kotynski, courtesy of the Great Falls Tribune 
The peaks shown in the photo are "glacial
horns" located in Glacier National Park.
These pyramid-shaped features are formed
as three or more glaciers erode the sides of a
single mountain. The larger peak in the
background is Mt. Stimson and the smaller
horn near the middle is called Triple Divide
Peak. Triple Divide Peak was given its name
because runoff from each of its three sides
drains to a different area. (Runoff is melted
snow or other forms of precipitation that drain
off the land.) Melted snow from the southwest
slope flows toward the Pacific, runoff from the
east slope flows toward the Gulf of Mexico and
the north face drains to Canada's Hudson
Bay.
The hikers are near the ridge that separates the Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Such an area is known as a "divide". Divides are higher areas that separate drainage basins. The most famous divide of all, "The Continental Divide" (a.k.a. the Great Divide) is also shown in the photo. Click on the "Hot Link" below for a better look at Triple Divide Peak. Also, the March/April issue of Montana Magazine has an article about Triple Divide Peak. It includes some great photos. Terms: erode, drainage basin |
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*A more detailed look at Triple Divide Peak |
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Earth Science Teacher at Helena high School |