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Westarctica (talk | contribs) (Created page with "thumb|Crossing a crevasse, Easton Glacier, North Cascades A '''crevasse''' is a deep crack, or fracture, found in an ice sheet or glacier, as opp...") |
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A crevasse may be covered, but not necessarily filled, by a snow bridge made of the previous years' accumulation and snow drifts. The result is that crevasses are rendered invisible, and thus potentially lethal to anyone attempting to navigate their way across a glacier. Occasionally a snow bridge over an old crevasse may begin to sag, providing some landscape relief, but this cannot be relied upon. Anyone planning to travel on a glacier should be trained in crevasse rescue. | A crevasse may be covered, but not necessarily filled, by a snow bridge made of the previous years' accumulation and snow drifts. The result is that crevasses are rendered invisible, and thus potentially lethal to anyone attempting to navigate their way across a glacier. Occasionally a snow bridge over an old crevasse may begin to sag, providing some landscape relief, but this cannot be relied upon. Anyone planning to travel on a glacier should be trained in crevasse rescue. | ||
The presence of water in a crevasse can significantly increase its penetration. Water-filled crevasses may reach the bottom of glaciers or [[ice | The presence of water in a crevasse can significantly increase its penetration. Water-filled crevasses may reach the bottom of glaciers or [[ice sheet]]s and provide a direct hydrologic connection between the surface, where significant summer melting occurs, and the bed of the [[glacier]], where additional water may moisten and lubricate the bed and accelerate ice flow. | ||
[[Category:Science]] | [[Category:Science]] | ||