Vadrec del Forno

Overview from Capanna del Forno (CAS). The photo was taken at night, the scene is illuminated by the full moon.

Medial moraine on the western half of the glacier, looking upglacier. Since the flow direction is almost exactly due north, very little boulder sorting takes place. One glacier table, with the capping boulder leaning towards the S, can be seen on the left.

Small debris of granite on the surface of Vadrec del Forno. This is an excellent example of how smaller debris does not create glacier tables. On the contrary, small pieces of rock absorb more solar radiation than ice and, thus, melt themselves into the ice.

This remarkable granite slab must have melted out from the ice very recently. It probably emerged standing up more or less vertically, then began tilting towards the right (E). Its shape suggests it cannot have tipped from the small ice mound in the middle foreground.

Assemblage of granite boulders. The largest one forms a classic glacier table. The next one on the right has already fallen off an ice pedestal towards the SE. The view is towards the N.

Identical group of boulders as in previous photo (with some glaciologists visiting).