firn

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“
- There are also two species of firn which are common to this country beside that formerly discribed of which the natives eat the roots. these from their disparity in point of size I shall designate the large and small firn. both species continue green all winter.

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Definitions (2)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun Granular, partially consolidated snow that has passed through one summer melt season but is not yet glacial ice. Also called old snow.

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Examples (30)

  • RC's own Ray Bradley has proposed that paleocryptic ice from an isolated arctic ocean (thick multi-year sea ice overlain by ice and firn) forced a reduction of the THC and was largely responsible for the YD, with the termination of the paleocryptic ice possibly resulting from warm water inflow from a relatively warm Atlantic and Pacific after sea levels rose, the Bering Strait was flooded over, and the end of arctic isolation. —  RealClimate
  • Antarctic ice sheet elevation changes, which are used to estimate changes in the mass of the interior regions, are caused by variations in the depth of the firn layer. —  RealClimate
  • Here we quantify the effects of temperature and accumulation variability on firn layer thickness, by simulating the 1980-2004 Antarctic firn depth variability. —  RealClimate
  • The amount of surface lowering in the Amundsen Sea Embayment revealed by satellite radar altimetry (1995-2003) is increased by including firn depth fluctuations, while a large area of the East Antarctic ice sheet slowly grew due to increased accumulation. you refer to the study —  RealClimate
  • In good conditions the small snowy face is skiable, but not for us on today's icy firn. —  - Lou Dawson's Backcountry Skiing Blog
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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. German, from German dialectal, of last year, from Old High German firni, old.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. German dial. (Swiss), also firne, a glacier, accumulated snow, literally last year's snow; from German firn, adjective, last year's, of the last year, from Old High German firni, old, ancient: see fern.
 

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/fɪrn/
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