"even being on the snow on top of rock exposes the alpinist to hazard in this situation. The best practice in mountaineering is to stay far enough back from the edge so as not to be able to see the drop, as an approximate metric of exposure. In avalanche safety, cornices are a high avalanche danger as they often break and trigger larger avalanches that permeate several snow layers. Cornices are particularly vulnerable to collapse during periods of solar warming. Snow cornice A snow cornice or simply cornice (from the Italian cornice meaning ""ledge"") is an overhanging edge of snow"
"Overhang (rock formation) An overhang is a rock face or artificial climbing wall with a slope of more than 90°, i.e. it slopes beyond the vertical. Particularly severe overhangs that reach, or nearly reach, the horizontal, are referred to as a roof. In climbing, overhangs and especially roofs place special demands both in terms of technique and equipment as well as the constitution of the sportsman or sportswoman. With increasing steepness the loading on arm and hand muscles increases, because the feet can support less and less of the body weight. Rest points where the muscles can be relaxed, especially"
"Steilhang A Steilhang (pl: ""Steilhänge"") is a geoscientific term for a steep mountainside or hillside (or a part thereof), the average slope of which is greater than 1:2 or 30°. Leser defines a ""steilhang"" as a mountainside with an incline of between 16° and 60°, slopes of between 30° and 60° being described as ""very steep"" (""übersteil"") and anything over 60° being a rock face (""wand""). The term is German for ""steep slope/mountainside/hillside"", ""escarpment"" or ""steep face"". The word ""hang"" in this compound is derived from ""hängen"", ""to hang"". Also compare the British English word ""hanger"" (from Old English ""hangra"")"
"Riegel (glacial) A riegel (from German, literally ""crossbar"") is a transverse ridge of bedrock that has been exposed by glacial erosion. Riegels are also known as rock bars, thresholds, and verrous. They are found in glaciated valleys, and are often associated with waterfalls and zones of rapids when streams are present. When multiple riegels are stacked in a series they are referred to as a glacial stairway. Most riegels can be identified by having smooth faces on the up-valley sides, while the down-valley sides show signs of having been plucked (eroded by the removal of rocks and blocks from the"
"Serac A serac (originally from Swiss French ""sérac"") is a block or column of glacial ice, often formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Commonly house-sized or larger, they are dangerous to mountaineers, since they may topple with little warning. Even when stabilized by persistent cold weather, they can be an impediment to glacier travel. Seracs are found within an icefall, often in large numbers, or on ice faces on the lower edge of a hanging glacier. Notable examples of the overhanging glacier edge type are well-known obstacles on some of the world's highest mountains, including K2 at ""The Bottleneck"""
"bedrock). Riegel (glacial) A riegel (from German, literally ""crossbar"") is a transverse ridge of bedrock that has been exposed by glacial erosion. Riegels are also known as rock bars, thresholds, and verrous. They are found in glaciated valleys, and are often associated with waterfalls and zones of rapids when streams are present. When multiple riegels are stacked in a series they are referred to as a glacial stairway. Most riegels can be identified by having smooth faces on the up-valley sides, while the down-valley sides show signs of having been plucked (eroded by the removal of rocks and blocks from"
"the north face of the Western Zinne, whose upper end is about 40 metres horizontally from the foot of the rock face. Severe climbing routes that feature overhangs and roofs include Separate Reality in the USA and La Rambla in Spain. Overhang (rock formation) An overhang is a rock face or artificial climbing wall with a slope of more than 90°, i.e. it slopes beyond the vertical. Particularly severe overhangs that reach, or nearly reach, the horizontal, are referred to as a roof. In climbing, overhangs and especially roofs place special demands both in terms of technique and equipment as"
"other out. There has been research into the effect of rimed snow on avalanches. Rimed snow Rimed snow refers to snowflakes that are partially or completely coated in tiny frozen water droplets called 'rime'. Rime forms on a snowflake when it passes through a super-cooled cloud. Snowflakes that are heavily rimed typically produce very heavy and wet snow, with snow to liquid ratios in the 5-1 (i.e. five inches of snow per inch of rain) to 9-1 range. Rimed snow has been found to provide greater initial stability for a snow layer. However, it also allows thicker, and therefore less"
"Esker An esker, eskar, eschar, or os, sometimes called an ""asar"", ""osar"", or ""serpent kame"", is a long, winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America. Eskers are frequently several kilometres long and, because of their peculiar uniform shape, are somewhat like railway embankments. The term ""esker"" is derived from the Irish word ""eiscir"" (Old Irish: ""escir""), which means ""ridge or elevation, especially one separating two plains or depressed surfaces"". The Irish word was and is used particularly to describe long sinuous ridges, which are now"
"and 3) ""Hummock"", an hillock of broken ice that forms an uneven surface. A ""shear ridge"" is a pressure ridge that formed under shear – it tends to be more linear than a ridge induced only by compression. A ""new ridge"" is a recent feature — it is sharp-crested, with its side sloping at an angle exceeding 40 degrees. In contrast, a ""weathered ridge"" is one with a rounded crest and with sides sloping at less than 40 degrees. Stamukhi are yet another type of pile-up but these are grounded and are therefore relatively stationary. They result from the interaction"
"Crag and tail A crag (sometimes spelled cragg, or in Scotland craig) is a rocky hill or mountain, generally isolated from other high ground. Crags are formed when a glacier or ice sheet passes over an area that contains a particularly resistant rock formation (often granite, a volcanic plug or some other volcanic structure). The force of the glacier erodes the surrounding softer material, leaving the rocky block protruding from the surrounding terrain. Frequently the crag serves as a partial shelter to softer material in the wake of the glacier, which remains as a gradual fan or ridge forming a"
"ridge parallel to the shoreline and a few tens of centimetres high, known as the berm. On its landward side there is often a shallow runnel. The berm is formed by material transported by the breaking waves that is thrown beyond the average level of the sea. The coarse-grained material that can no longer be washed away by the backwash remains behind. The location and size of the berm is subject to seasonal changes. For example, a winter bern that has been thrown up by storm surges in winter is usually much more prominent and higher up the beach than"
"Sastrugi Sastrugi, or zastrugi, are sharp irregular grooves or ridges formed on a snow surface by wind erosion, saltation of snow particles, and deposition, and found in polar and open sites such as frozen lakes in cold temperate regions. The ridges are usually perpendicular to the prevailing winds; they are steep on the windward side and sloping to the leeward side. Smaller irregularities of this type are known as ripples (small, ~10 mm high) or wind ridges. Larger features are especially troublesome to skiers and snowboarders. Traveling on the irregular surface of sastrugi can be very tiring, and can risk"
"Avalanche An avalanche (also called a snowslide) is a cohesive slab of snow lying upon a weaker layer of snow in the snowpack that fractures and slides down a steep slope when triggered. Avalanches are typically triggered in a starting zone from a mechanical failure in the snowpack (slab avalanche) when the forces of the snow exceed its strength but sometimes only with gradual widening (loose snow avalanche). After initiation, avalanches usually accelerate rapidly and grow in mass and volume as they entrain more snow. If the avalanche moves fast enough, some of the snow may mix with the air"
"(Rutsch means slide in German). Avalanche An avalanche (also called a snowslide) is a cohesive slab of snow lying upon a weaker layer of snow in the snowpack that fractures and slides down a steep slope when triggered. Avalanches are typically triggered in a starting zone from a mechanical failure in the snowpack (slab avalanche) when the forces of the snow exceed its strength but sometimes only with gradual widening (loose snow avalanche). After initiation, avalanches usually accelerate rapidly and grow in mass and volume as they entrain more snow. If the avalanche moves fast enough, some of the snow"
"Fell A fell (from Old Norse ""fell"", ""fjall"", ""mountain"") is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain range or moor-covered hills. The term is most often employed in Fennoscandia, the Isle of Man, parts of Northern England, and Scotland. The English word ""fell"" comes from Old Norse ""fell"" and ""fjall"" (both forms existed). It is cognate with Danish ""fjeld"", Faroese ""fjall"" and ""fjøll"", Icelandic ""fjall"" and ""fell"", Norwegian ""fjell"" with dialects ""fjøll"", ""fjødd"", ""fjedd"", ""fjedl"", ""fjill"", ""fil(l)"" and ""fel"", and Swedish ""fjäll"", all referring to mountains rising above the alpine tree line. In Northern England, especially in"
"Nunatak A nunatak (from Inuit ""nunataq"") is an exposed, often rocky element of a ridge, mountain, or peak not covered with ice or snow within (or at the edge of) an ice field or glacier. They are also called glacial islands. Examples are natural pyramidal peaks. The word is of Greenlandic origin and has been used in English since the 1870s. The term is typically used in areas where a permanent ice sheet is present and the nunataks protrude above the sheet. Nunataks present readily identifiable landmark reference points in glaciers or ice caps and are often named. While some"
"Arête An arête is a narrow ridge of rock which separates two valleys. It is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys. Arêtes can also form when two glacial cirques erode headwards towards one another, although frequently this results in a saddle-shaped pass, called a col. The edge is then sharpened by freeze-thaw weathering, and the slope on either side of the arete steepened through mass wasting events and the erosion of exposed, unstable rock. The word ‘arête’ is actually French for ""edge"" or ""ridge""; similar features in the Alps are described with the German equivalent term ""Grat""."
"Corniche A corniche is a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side and falling away on the other. The word has been absorbed into English from the French term "" or ""road on a ledge"", originally derived from the Italian "", for ""ledge"". Three famed corniche roads of the Côte d'Azur in the French Riviera run between the sea and mountains from Nice eastward toward Menton. They are known as the ' (or ') along the coast, the "" slightly inland, and the """" along the upper cliffs. The ' passes"
"Market overhang Market overhang is a term derived from the physical world meaning things that stick out or hang over another thing. Often from the viewpoint of standing beneath an 'overhang' there is shade provided by a protrusion from the adjacent vertical domain, such as a tree or building. In marketing, ""overhanging the market"" relates to the business practice of announcing a new product or a new business strategy by a company in an adjacent space to the target. To be an overhang in this context, the following conditions must exist: the announcer is a market leader in the adjacent"
"Rimed snow Rimed snow refers to snowflakes that are partially or completely coated in tiny frozen water droplets called 'rime'. Rime forms on a snowflake when it passes through a super-cooled cloud. Snowflakes that are heavily rimed typically produce very heavy and wet snow, with snow to liquid ratios in the 5-1 (i.e. five inches of snow per inch of rain) to 9-1 range. Rimed snow has been found to provide greater initial stability for a snow layer. However, it also allows thicker, and therefore less stable, snow layers to build up. It could be argued that these cancel each"
"Pingo A pingo, also called a hydrolaccolith or a bulgunniakh, is a mound of earth-covered ice found in the Arctic and subarctic that can reach up to in height and up to in diameter. The term originated as the Inuvialuktun word for a small hill. The plural form is ""pingos"". The term is also used for depressions, often water filled, formed by the melting of ice at the end of the last glaciation. A pingo is a periglacial landform, which is defined as a nonglacial landform or process linked to colder climates. ""Periglacial"" suggests an environment located on the margin"
"Aufeis Aufeis, ( ), (German for ""ice on top"") is a sheet-like mass of layered ice that forms from successive flows of ground water during freezing temperatures. This form of ice is also called overflow, icings, or the Russian term, naled. The term was first used in 1859 by A. T. von Middendorff following his observations of the phenomenon in northern Siberia. Aufeis accumulates during winter along stream and river valleys in arctic and subarctic environments. It forms by upwelling of river water behind ice dams, or by ground-water discharge. The latter mechanism prevails in high-gradient alpine streams as they"
"is thicker and stronger at the edge of a crevasse, a fall through a bridge usually happens at some distance from the crevasse edge. Snow bridge A snow bridge is an arc across a crevasse, a crack in rock, a creek, or some other opening in terrain. It is typically formed by snow drift, which first creates a cornice, which may gradually grow to reach the other side of the opening. A snow bridge may completely cover the opening and thus presents danger: it creates an illusion of unbroken surface while hiding the opening under a layer of snow of"
"Barrier ridge The terms barrier ridge, a term of art in the Earth Sciences, especially Geology and sometimes barrier range (more common as a geography term) describing the existence of gross landforms describing long ridgelines which are particularly difficult to pass, ""especially in the context of being on foot"" or dependent upon other forms of animal powered transportation systems, in mountainous and sometimes hilly terrains. ""Barrier ridges"" such as the steep rising slopes or escarpments of the Allegheny Front, separating the ridge-and-valley Appalachians from the drainage divides of the uplands of the Appalachian Plateau. The ridge and valley region is"
"Mountains. As fronts approach, they are forced upward by the peaks of the Cascade Range, causing them to drop their moisture in the form of rain or snowfall onto the Cascades (Orographic lift). As a result, the west side of the Cascades experiences high precipitation, especially during the winter months in the form of snowfall. During winter months, weather is usually cloudy, but, due to high pressure systems over the Pacific Ocean that intensify during summer months, there is often little or no cloud cover during the summer. Because of maritime influence, snow tends to be wet and heavy, resulting"
"filled with a succession of nearly impassible ridges from Southern Georgia, along the Appalachian chain all the way to Maine. Barrier ridge The terms barrier ridge, a term of art in the Earth Sciences, especially Geology and sometimes barrier range (more common as a geography term) describing the existence of gross landforms describing long ridgelines which are particularly difficult to pass, ""especially in the context of being on foot"" or dependent upon other forms of animal powered transportation systems, in mountainous and sometimes hilly terrains. ""Barrier ridges"" such as the steep rising slopes or escarpments of the Allegheny Front, separating"
"or (as here) on both sides. The first reference to Striding Edge was by Walter Scott in 1805 as ""Striden-edge"". A map of 1823 called it ""Strathon Edge"". It is possible that ""Striding Edge"" has replaced an earlier name, now lost. Swirral Edge may be either ""The precipitous ridge that causes giddiness"" or ""The precipitous ridge where the wind or snow swirls around."" An edge is a steep escarpment, as above. ""Swirrel"", a dialect variation of ""swirl"" has two possible explanations. It can be used to mean ""giddiness, vertigo"", but it can also be used of a place in the"
"Ice dune An ice dune (also called an ice ridge or an ice foot) is a formation of ice that accumulates on the shores of many arctic beaches and is also common along the shores of the Great Lakes during the winter. An ice dune is produced by ice washing ashore, snowfall, and the gradual freezing of wave spray that accumulates on to the shore. They form when the air temperature is below freezing and the water temperature is near freezing. Ice dunes are commonly at least tall, but the dune's size depends on the beach and the weather. The"
"Tug Hill Tug Hill, sometimes referred to as the Tug Hill Plateau, is an upland region in Upstate New York in the United States, famous for heavy winter snows. The Tug Hill region is east of Lake Ontario, north of Oneida Lake, and west of the Adirondack Mountains. The region is separated from the Adirondacks by the Black River Valley. Although the region has traditionally been known as the Tug Hill ""plateau"" because its top is flat, it is not a plateau, but rather a cuesta, since it is composed of sedimentary rocks that tip up on one side, rising"
"Wrinkle ridge A wrinkle ridge is a type of feature commonly found on lunar maria. These features are low, sinuous ridges formed on the mare surface that can extend for up to several hundred kilometers. Wrinkle ridges are tectonic features created when the basaltic lava cooled and contracted. They frequently outline ring structures buried within the mare, follow circular patterns outlining the mare, or intersect protruding peaks. They are sometimes called ""veins"" due to their resemblance to the veins that protrude from beneath the skin. These are found near craters. Wrinkle ridges are named with the Latin designation dorsum (plural"
"Iceberg An iceberg or ice mountain is a large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating freely in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice (one form of sea ice). As it drifts into shallower waters, it may come into contact with the seabed, a phenomenon called seabed gouging by ice. About 90 percent of an iceberg is below the surface of the water. Icebergs are possible on Earth because of an unusual property of water: It is less dense in its solid state than its liquid"
"Hill chain A hill chain, sometimes also hill ridge, is an elongated line of hills that usually includes a succession of more or less prominent hilltops, domed summits or ""kuppen"", hill ridges and saddles and which, together with its associated lateral ridges and branches, may form a complex topographic structure. It may occur within a hill range, within an area of low rolling hill country or on a plain. It may link two or more otherwise distinct hill ranges. The transition from a hill chain to a mountain chain is blurred and depends on regional definitions of a hill or"