▁observed ▁in ▁nature . ▁The ▁differences ▁among ▁the ▁growth ▁patterns ▁of ▁ep igen etic , ▁sy ng en etic ▁and ▁anti - s y ng en etic ▁wed ges ▁then ▁depend ▁upon ▁ground ▁surface ▁conditions , ▁i . e . ▁whether ▁the ▁ground ▁level ▁remains ▁essentially ▁un changed ▁or ▁whether ▁there ▁is ▁addition ▁or ▁loss ▁of ▁material . ▁ ▁Ep igen etic ▁‘ E p igen etic ’ ▁in ▁ge ological ▁terms ▁refers ▁to ▁ge ological ▁features ▁that ▁formed ▁after ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁surrounding ▁materials . ▁In ▁relation ▁to ▁ice ▁wed ges , ▁this ▁means ▁that ▁ep igen etic ▁ice ▁wed ges ▁are ▁found ▁to ▁form ▁in ▁pre ex isting ▁per ma f rost , ▁and ▁are ▁not ▁formed ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁as ▁the ▁per ma f rost ▁meaning ▁they ▁are ▁much ▁younger ▁than ▁the ▁surrounding ▁material . ▁An ▁ice ▁w edge ▁being ▁ep igen etic ▁also ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁fashion ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁grow . ▁These ▁types ▁of ▁ice ▁wed ges ▁grow ▁consider ably ▁wider ▁over ▁their ▁lifetime , ▁but ▁rarely ▁any ▁deeper ▁or ▁t aller . ▁This ▁means ▁that ▁ep igen etic ▁ice ▁wed ges ▁can ▁grow ▁to ▁at ▁most ▁ 3 – 5 ▁meters ▁in ▁width , ▁but ▁stay ▁roughly ▁the ▁same ▁depth / height ▁as ▁when ▁they ▁had ▁formed . ▁Typ ically , ▁the ▁sed iments ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁of ▁an ▁ep igen etic ▁ice ▁w edge , ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁edges ▁of ▁the ▁w edge ▁exhib it ▁up ward ▁b ending . ▁In ▁an ▁ep igen