Cryosphere glossary
electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength than visible radiation but longer than x-rays; roughly, radiation in the wavelength interval from 10 to 4000 angstroms.
a hard snow surface lying upon a softer layer; may be formed by sun, rain or wind, and is described as breakable crust or unbreakable crust, depending upon wether it will break under the weight of a turning skier.
a method to determine the short-term strength of rocks; conducted by employing a constant loading rate until failure; the failure load is used to calculate the failure stress; can also be used to determine the elastic constants of rocks (i.e. Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio).
air in which static instability prevails; this condition is determined by the vertical gradients of air temperature and humidity.
the advance of a freezing front upwards from the permafrost table during annual freezing of the active layer.