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A bergschrund (from the German for mountain cleft; sometimes abbreviated in English to " schrund") is a crevasse that forms where moving glacier ice separates from the stagnant ice or firn above.Whittow, John (1984). Dictionary of Physical Geography. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 61. . It is often a serious obstacle for mountaineering. Bergschrunds extend to the bedrock, and can have a depth of well over .
A bergschrund is distinct from a randkluft, which is a crevasse with one side formed by rock. The randkluft arises in part from the melting of the ice due to the presence of the warmer rock face.Benn, D.I. & Evans, D.J.A. Glaciers and Glaciation (1998) However, a randkluft is sometimes called a bergschrund.Burchfield, R.W. ed. Oxford English Dictionary supplement (1987) The French word rimaye encompasses both randklufts and bergschrunds. In a corrie or cirque, the bergschrund is positioned at the rear, parallel to the back wall of the corrie. It is caused by the rotational movement of the glacier. In a longitudinal glacier, the bergschrund is at the top end of the glacier at a right angle to the flow of the glacier. It is caused by the downwards flow of the glacier.
In winter, a bergschrund is often filled by snow from from the mountain above it. In later summer, due to melting, it lies open and can present a very difficult obstacle to mountaineers.
On the South Col route to reach the summit of Mount Everest, a deep bergschrund lies at the bottom of the Lhotse face, separating Camp II from Camp III.
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