Which combination correctly matches the completions for "hard slabs break" and "soft slabs break"?

• A. Hard slabs break Under you; Soft slabs break Above you
• B. Hard slabs break Beside you; Soft slabs break Around you
• C. Hard slabs break Around you; Soft slabs break Beside you
• D. Hard slabs break Above you; Soft slabs break Under you / your feet

Answer: (D)

When a slab avalanche starts, the location of the fracture relative to you depends on the slab’s texture. A hard slab is dense and cohesive; when you load it, the weak layer beneath is often overrun by a fracture that runs through the slab itself and above that weak layer, so the break occurs above you. In contrast, a soft slab is less cohesive and more likely to fail through the weak layer beneath the slab, meaning the break happens under you. So the right pairing is that hard slabs break above you, while soft slabs break beneath you (under your feet).