| Page 24 | National Snow and Ice Data Center

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smog

currently used as a synonym for general air pollution; it was originally created by combining the words smoke and fog.

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climatology and meteorology

snow

(1) an ice particle formed by sublimation of vapor in the atmosphere (2) a collection of loosely bonded ice crystals deposited from the atmosphere; high density snow (greater than 550 kilograms per cubic meter; 34 pounds per cubic foot) is called firn if it is older than one year.

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snow barchan

horseshoe-shaped snowdrift, with the ends pointing down-wind.

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snow board

a specially constructed board used to identify the surface of snow that has been recently covered by snowfall.

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snow bridge

an arch formed by snow which has drifted aross a crevasse, forming first a cornice, and ultimately a covering which may completely obscure the opening.

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snow core

a sample of snow, either just the freshly fallen snow or the combined old and new snow on the ground, obtained by pushing a cylinder down through the snow layer and extracting it.

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snow cover

(1) in general, the accumulation of snow on the ground surface (2) the areal extent of snow-covered ground, usually expressed as percent of total area in a given region.

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climatology and meteorology

frozen ground or permafrost

snow density

the mass of snow per unit volume which is equal to the water content of snow divided by its depth.

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snow depth

the combined total depth of both old and new snow on the ground.

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snow extent

the total land area covered by some amount of snow; typically reported in square kilometers.

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snow flurry

snow that falls for short durations and which often changes in intensity; flurries usually produce little accumulation.

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snow grains

precipitation in the form of very small, white opaque ice particles; they resemble snow pellets but are more flattened and elongated, with a diameter less than 1 mm; the solid equivalent of drizzle.

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climatology and meteorology

snow layer

a layer of ice crystals with similar size and shape.

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snow line

the minimum elevation of snow lying on the ground or glacier surface; the snow line at the end of an ablation season marks a glacier's current equilibrium line.

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snow load

the downward force on an object or structure caused by the weight of accumulated snow.

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snow patch

relatively small area of snow cover remaining after the main snowmelt period.

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frozen ground or permafrost

snow pellets

precipitation in the form of small, white opaque ice particles; resemble ice grains, but are round (sometimes conical) and about 2-5 mm in diameter.

Topic:

climatology and meteorology

snow roller

roll-like snow formation, caused by a unique combination of snow, wind, temperature and moisture

snow squall

a brief, but intense fall of snow that greatly reduces visibility and which is often accompanied by strong winds.

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snow water equivalent

the water content obtained from melting.

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snow worm

an oligochaete worm that lives on temperate glaciers or perennial snow; there are several species that range in color from yellowish-brown to reddish-brown or black; they are usually less than 1 millimeter (0.04 inch) in diameter and average about 3 millimeters (0.1 inch) in length; some feed off red algae.

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snowblink

a bright white glare on the underside of clouds, produced by the reflection of light from a snow-covered surface; snowblink is lighter than ice blink, and much lighter than land sky or water sky.

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climatology and meteorology

snowbursts

very intense showers of snow, often of short duration, that greatly restrict visibility and produce periods of rapid snow accumulation.

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snowdrift

an accumulation or bank of snow formed when wind blows snow against an obstruction; often considerably thicker than the surrounding snowcover.

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frozen ground or permafrost

snowdrift glacier

a semipermanent mass of firn formed by drifted snow behind obstructions or in the ground; also called a catchment glacier or a drift glacier.

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snowfall

the depth of new snow that has accumulated since the previous day or since the previous observation.

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snowflake

a cluster of ice crystals that falls from a cloud.

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snowmelt

melting of the snowcover, and also the period during which melting of the snow cover occurs at the end of the winter.

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frozen ground or permafrost

snowpack

the total snow and ice on the ground, including both new snow and the previous snow and ice which have not melted.

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snowstorm

strong wind with snow.

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climatology and meteorology

soil wedge

a wedge-shaped body of soil that is different in structure and texture from the surrounding soil.

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frozen ground or permafrost

solar radiation

the total electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun.

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climatology and meteorology

solifluction

slow downslope flow of saturated unfrozen earth materials.

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frozen ground or permafrost

solifluction apron

a fan-like deposit at the base of a slope, produced by solifluction.

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frozen ground or permafrost

solifluction features

geomorphological features of varying scale produced by the process of solifluction.

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frozen ground or permafrost

solifluction lobe

an isolated, tongue-shaped solifluction feature, up to 25 meters (27 yards) wide and 150 meters (164 yards) or more long; formed by more rapid solifluction on certain sections of a slope showing variations in gradient.

Topic:

frozen ground or permafrost

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