Icefall

The Khumbu Icefall



An icefall is a portion of a glacier that flows over a very steep area in the underlying bedrock much like a waterfall, hence the name "icefall". The relatively fast flowing speed of the glacier in this area causes the upper layers of ice to crack up, producing a very erratic and dangerous surface full of deep wide crevasses and seracs. Perhaps the most famous of all icefalls is the Khumbu icefall on the western side of Mount Everest.

Icefall on Hvannadalshnukur




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