Icefall

An icefall is a jagged, chaotic section of a glacier or ice sheet where a steep ice slope or cliff collapses and breaks apart, creating a maze of crevasses, seracs, and ice towers. Think of it as a frozen, fractured waterfall, but made of glacier ice. These areas are dangerous due to their unpredictable movement, hidden crevasses, and floating ice blocks. Icefalls often occur where the ice becomes heavily compressed and flows over steep terrain, causing the ice to fracture and cascade downward, similar to a frozen waterfall breaking apart.