ICEFALL

Icefall

Most glacier ice flows at speeds of a few hundred metres per year or less. However, the flow of ice in an icefall may be measured in kilometres per year. Such rapid flow cannot be accommodated by plastic deformation of the ice. Instead, the ice fractures forming crevasses. Intersecting fractures form ice columns or seracs. These processes are imperceptible for the most part, however, a serac may collapse or topple abruptly and without warning. This behavior often poses the biggest risk to mountaineers climbing in an icefall.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Icefall
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icefall

Noun

  1. A relatively rapid and turbulent flow of ice, somewhat analogous to a waterfall.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: icefall
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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