Recently, I took the following picture:
I have read about this phenomenon and I think it is caused by water vapour that is pressed out of the ground and then freezes due to low temperature. However, I cannot recall the name of this phenomenon and I couldn't find it on the internet.
The picture was taken in the Alps around 3000 meters above sea level in August. I'm pretty sure that the white thing is ice. They're a couple of centimetres long and quite porous. I found them on top of an earthy and slaty flank of a mountain early in the morning (around 8 am).
What is this phenomenon called?