firn

views updated May 18 2018

firn(névé) Snow that has survived a summer melting season. It is an intermediate material in the conversion of snow to glacial ice. Normally it is granular, owing to the partial melt. The obsolete German word firn means ‘of last year’; Firner means ‘everlasting snow’ or ‘snow that remains from last year’.

firn

views updated May 08 2018

firn (név é) Snow that has survived a summer melting season. It is an intermediate material in the conversion of snow to glacial ice. Normally it is granular, due to the partial melt.