Crevasse

Crevasse in Easton Glacier, Mount Baker, in the North Cascades, Washington

A crevasse is a deep crack, or fracture, found in an ice sheet or glacier. It is like a crevice that forms in rock. Crevasses form as a result of the movement caused by the shear stress between two semi-rigid pieces of ice.

Crevasses often have vertical or near-vertical walls, which can then melt and create seracs, arches, and other ice formations.

Crevasse Media

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  Transverse crevasses, Chugach State Park, Alaska

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  A crevasse in Tangra Mountains, Antarctica

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  The glacier Taschachferner below the Wildspitze (left, 3.768 m) in Tyrolia in Austria in April 2005. There are some zones with large open crevasses, e.g., the spot-shaped area below the middle of the image and most right. The line marks the ascent track of mountaineers on skis which intentionally avoided these dangerous areas.