Hanging glacier

A hanging glacier originates high on the wall of a glacial valley and descends only part of the way to the surface of the main glacier and abruptly stops, typically at a cliff.^[1] Avalanching and icefalls are the mechanisms for ice and snow transfer to the valley floor below.^[1]

Hanging glaciers are inherently unstable, and may produce catastrophic break-off events. These glaciers are often partially frozen to their bedrock, allowing them to locate on steep slopes. Break-off events leading to substantial ice avalanches pose severe hazards to humans, settlements, and infrastructure in alpine terrain worldwide.^[2] Rock and icefall from a hanging glacier was responsible for triggering the Kolka-Karmadon rock ice slide in 2002, which killed 125 people.^[3]

1. ^ ^{a b} "Glossary of Glacier Terminology". United States Geological Survey.
2. ^ Chmiel, Małgorzata; Walter, Fabian; Pralong, Antoine; Preiswerk, Lukas; Funk, Martin; Meier, Lorenz; Brenguier, Florent (2023-05-16). "Seismic Constraints on Damage Growth Within an Unstable Hanging Glacier". Geophysical Research Letters. 50 (9). Bibcode:2023GeoRL..5002007C. doi:10.1029/2022GL102007. hdl:20.500.11850/614371. ISSN 0094-8276.
3. ^ Lindsey, Rebecca (9 September 2004). "Collapse of the Kolka Glacier". Earth Observatory. NASA.
4. ^ "Science of Glaciers". National Snow and Ice Data Center. Retrieved 2024-09-26.

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