Structures in the ice

The great icefall of Pasterze generates the ice structures presented on this page (overview from Franz Josefs-Höhe).

A closer view of the glacier just below the icefalls shows faint ogives (lower left).

Zooming in even more, ogives and folding caused by longitudinal compression of the ice become evident.

The strongest zoom shows intensively folded ice near the true left margin of the glacier.

Telephoto view of strongly folded ice at the true left margin of the glacier.

Telephoto view of ogives and folding near the centerline of the glacier.

Fisheye photo taken when standing on the glacier, in the are below the icefall. Meltwater streams exploit structures within the ice.

Anticlinal folding becomes evident due to uneven ablation of different types of glacier ice.

Anticlinal (far left) and synclinal folding (right foreground).

Ice of a tributary glacier descending via a small icefall is strongly compressed in the longitudinal direction, also causing folding.

Fault showing lateral displacement to the right and bending of longitudinal foliation.

A deeply incised meltwater channel exposes foliation structures in the ice.