A serac (originally from Swiss French sérac, a crumbly white cheese) is a block or column of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. Often 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 a serious impediment to glacier travel. Seracs are found within an icefall, often in large numbers, or at the ice cliff on the lower edge of a hanging glacier.

Glaciology

Serac | Serac | Sérac | Sérac