A note on needle‐ice mound formation in the High Drakensberg, Southern Africa

• Published in: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Main Author: Grab, Stefan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2002
• Subjects: Permafrost and Periglacial Processes
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ppp.427; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1002%2Fppp.427; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ppp.427

Abstract Small needle‐ice mounds are described from the High Drakensberg. They develop infrequently during periods of several days of uninterrupted cold conditions. Ice growth incorporates sediment and stones. An accumulated segregated ice length of >41 cm was measured, with clasts heaved ∼14 cm. During subsequent thaw phases, the ice ablates from the top downwards, forming sediment veneers and cappings. These mounds contribute towards turf exfoliation, thereby exposing sediment to deflation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.