depth hoar

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depth hoar

[′depth ‚hȯr]

(hydrology)

A layer of ice crystals formed between the ground and snow cover by sublimation. Also known as sugar snow.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Granular depth hoar acts like a layer of ball bearings beneath the sheet of frozen crust.

Snow on the run way: if it's cold enough, flying through snow shouldn't be much of a problem. The fun begins on the ground

One way of determining the risk of avalanche in any given spot is to dig pits and look for telltale signs of weak layers, such as so-called depth hoar and surface hoar--freezer-burn-like frost that occurs when snow vaporizes and recrystallizes.

Avalanche! Scientists are digging out the secrets of lethal flows of snow

Mountain-top trees shrouded in cold clouds become bottom of every avalanche is depth hoar, snow recrystallized into a lovely, but perilously weak, honeycomb structure.

Winter's wondrous waterland. (mother's nature)

7 Grainy, sugarlike depth hoar crystals will slide and take all the above layers with them if their weak bonds break apart.