TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

LIMITE NEIGES PERPETUELLES [1 record]

Record 1 2011-07-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Glaciology
  • Meteorology
DEF

The line of lowest elevation or the lower limit of a snowfield at any locality on the earth's surface above which snow accumulates and remains on the ground throughout the entire year.

CONT

Snowline ... is the lowest limit of permanent snow on a mountain. During the cold season, snow will fall onto a mountain and build up. During warmer seasons, the snow may begin to melt. Where the melting is offset by the accumulation of snow, the snow remains all year round - and forms the snowline. The extent of the snowline can vary from year to year on a particular mountain, and is a good indicator of the balance between snowfall and snowmelt.

CONT

Snow line [is the] altitude above which or latitude beyond which snow does not melt in summer (usually called the permanent snow line), or, in winter, the line to which snow extends at a given point in time. Factors affecting the location of the snow line are the quantity of snowfall, the steepness of the slope on which snow rests, the exposure of an area to the sun and prevailing winds, the type and velocity of the winds, and the presence or absence of large bodies of water. The level of the snow line is much lower in winter than in summer. It is also affected by distance from the equator, along which it is found at an altitude of c.3 mi (5 km); in polar regions it is at sea level.

OBS

Snowline ... on glaciers it is identical to the firn line.

Key term(s)
  • permanent snow-line

French

Domaine(s)
  • Glaciologie
  • Météorologie
DEF

Ligne d'altitude la plus basse ou limite inférieure d'un champ de neige à tout endroit sur la surface de la terre, au-dessus de laquelle la neige s'accumule et reste sur le sol pendant toute l'année.

CONT

Dans les secteurs montagneux qui se situent au-dessus de la limite des neiges persistantes, c'est-à-dire sous 0 °C en moyenne, l'eau s'accumule sous forme de neige qui se compacte en glace. Mais la glace ne peut s'accumuler indéfiniment. Puisque les zones d'accumulation ne sont pas confinées, la glace s'écoule.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Glaciología
  • Meteorología
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