In theASDEXUpgrade tokamak, the power deposition structures on the divertor target plates during type-I edge localized modes (ELMs) have been investigated by infrared thermography. In addition to the axisymmetric strike line, several poloidally displaced stripes are resolved, identifying an ELM as a composite of several subevents. This pattern is interpreted as being a signature of the helical perturbations in the low field side edge during the non-linear ELM evolution. Based on this observation, the ELM related magnetic perturbation in the midplane can be derived from the target load pattern. In the start phase of an ELM collapse, average toroidal mode numbers around n ≈ 3–5 are foundevolving to values of n ≈ 12–14 during the ELM power deposition maximum. Further information about the non-linear evolution of theELMmode structure is obtained from statistical analyses of the spatial distribution, heat flux amplitudes and number of single stripes.