Ice Falls

A cirque glacier in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park flows over an ice fall before joining the Fraser Glacier in the valley below.

NPS Photo/Jacob W. Frank

Ice falls in a glacier are like water falls in a river. They form in steep sections of the glacier.

At these falls, flow is extremely fast, and the ice stretches and thins, often breaking apart to form blocks called seracs. Ice cover may not be continuous in these areas—there even may be sections where bare bedrock is exposed.

To learn more about glaciers, glacier features, and glacial landforms, see the Glaciers & Glacial Landforms Page.

Related Links

• NPS—Geoscience Concepts
• NPS—Geologic Tour
• NPS—Geodiversity Atlas
• NPS—Geology