firn
1
9.5
Old packed snow that has survived one summer but is not yet glacier ice
- noun
- /fɪrn/
- Specialized
:
neve
- After a few months, this snow has been turned into a more compacted form called firn, which then, over subsequent decades, is compressed into dense ice by the weight of newer snow on top of it.
Examples
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If the snow survives for more than a year, it may begin hardening into something called firn, which is a step on the way to becoming glacial ice.
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Look for the firn line, near the toe of the glacier, where the old snow, melted and refrozen countless times, looks like wet sugar.
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District Superintendent Dr. Greg Firn told WBTV's Sharon Smith that the incident is still part of an active investigation.
Blog text (32)
Synonyms
1
9.9
The top part of a glacier where old snow slowly turns into ice
is the granular compacted snow that survived one summer but is not yet ice
Surface Forms
Etymology
Firn comes from an old German word Firn meaning 'old snow'. It refers to snow that has survived at least one summer and turned into hard, grainy snow on its way to becoming glacier ice.