5.1.1 Introduction
This scenario takes place in mountainous terrain rather than the flat terrain of Scenario 1. How would you expect snowpack evolution to differ in the two scenarios based solely on the difference in terrain? For each process or event, select the correct answer, then click Done.
Gravity has a greater impact in sloped situations since it can cause layers to detach and slide. Note that gravity causes snowpack to settle faster in flat terrain.
Sloped surfaces do not necessarily add to or subtract from the number of layers.
Snowpack is often unstable in both flat and sloped terrain but the impacts are far more severe in mountainous areas. Just think of slides and avalanches.
Terrain has a huge impact on precipitation distribution. Terrain features affect the type and amount of snowfall, with upwind slopes (upslope areas) typically receiving more precipitation than other slopes. Precipitation distribution is typically more even in flat terrain, especially in areas well away from mountains and large bodies of water.
Snow redistribution from wind events can create unstable conditions over sloped terrain. For example, drifting snow can create cornices on the lee side of ridge lines that can become so deep that they fracture, causing an avalanche. Recall that drifted snow is much denser than non-drifted snow.