When you stand in front of a rock glacier, you might not recognize it as such right away – many people probably think they are looking at an ordinary heap of rubble. In truth, rock glaciers are among the permafrost phenomena. They consist of a dirty mixture of boulders, rubble and ice that slowly slides down the valley. If individual sections move significantly faster than others, cracks appear and cohesion begins to crumble – experts speak of destabilization.
