Crevasse

Crevasse in Easton Glacier, Mount Baker, in the North Cascades, Washington

A crevasse is a deep crack, or fracture, found in an ice sheet or glacier. It is like a crevice that forms in rock. Crevasses form as a result of the movement caused by the shear stress between two semi-rigid pieces of ice.

Crevasses often have vertical or near-vertical walls, which can then melt and create seracs, arches, and other ice formations.