We measured >12 m of ice loss in the icefall over the last 12 months.
The general mass balance gradient on the glacier would predict no more than 6 m of ice loss at this elevation. The broken ice disrupts the laminar flow of cold air down the surface of the ice, and absorbs a lot more solar radiation, increasing the melt. It is time consuming to make measurements in these areas, so most mass balance programs avoid them entirely.