6.1.14 Snow profiles, 1
Here’s a snow profile—the culmination of the in-situ, snowpit-based, snowpack measurement process. The results are depicted vertically on the plot, making easy to interpret the stability of the snowpack layers.
Which of the following statements are true of the temperature profile (the line in blue)? Select the correct answer(s), then click Done.
The correct answers are b and d.
Conditions are warmer in the lower portion of the snowpack: near 0°C (32°F), which is just barely freezing. Melting is not significant because all of the temperatures are at or below freezing. The vertical temperature gradient in the 20-cm to 70-cm (8-in to 28-in) layer is significant since it’s conducive to both the transport of moisture upward and the growth of the upper grains at the expense of the lower grains. This leads to the formation of depth hoar, which decreases snowpack stability.