Icefall

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icefall

[′īs ‚fȯl]

(hydrology)

That portion of a glacier where a sudden steepening of descent causes a chaotic breaking up of the ice. Also known as ice cascade.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Icefall

the section of a glacier that is broken by deep fissures into separate blocks of varying shape and size. Icefalls form on the site of steep declivities in the longitudinal profile of the glacier bed, where there is an increase in the rate of the ice’s movement, resulting in crevasses.

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References in periodicals archive ?

As we climb to the top of a compression ridge, the clouds lift a little--enough so that we can see several miles up the convoluted, moraine-striped glacier to Stairway Icefall. Because I still haven't grasped the scale of the park, I have a hard time believing Jacobs's assertion that the dark crack across the face of the fall is actually a 300-foot-high cliff of ice.

The glorious end of the road

First-time visitors can quickly become familiar with the Starved Rock area and hopefully find many reasons to come back again in the winter when eagles soar overhead and waterfalls freeze into beautiful icefalls. The Lodge also has more than 50 musical tribute shows each year taking guests on a walk down memory lane with songs by Patsy Cline, Frank Sinatra and more.

Starved Rock a hidden gem, even on the weekdays

e strenuous journey in November 2015 will take in stunning national parks, mountain ridges, beautiful lakes, amazing icefalls and stunning views of the snow capped Andes.