snowpit
Dug avalanche assessment
A snowpit is a hole dug into a snowpack to examine its layers, typically by backcountry skiers, avalanche forecasters, or researchers assessing avalanche risk.
The vertical wall reveals distinct strata—crusts, weak layers, depth hoar—that indicate stability: We dug a snowpit and found a concerning layer of faceted crystals.
Also called a snow pit.
Stacked levels or coatings
- crystalsSolids with ordered structure
- facetsPolished gem surfaces
- firnYear-old compacting snow
- densityMass-to-volume ratio
hardness · temperature · sintering · metamorphism · crust · percolation · bonding · gradient
Thick flat piece
- layerSingle thickness of material
- burialPlacing deceased underground
- slopeAngled terrain or steepness
- triggerWhat initiates action
snowpack · fracture · propagation · hazard · backcountry · forecast · terrain · exposure
Removing earth below
- shovelTool for moving earth
- wallVertical enclosing structure
- shadedBlocked from light
- north-facingOriented toward arctic
representative · bench · ruler · thermometer · grid · measurement · photography · documentation
layers
Stacked levels or coatings
density · hardness · temperature · sintering · metamorphism · crust · percolation · bonding · gradient · profile
slab
Thick flat piece
trigger · snowpack · fracture · propagation · hazard · backcountry · forecast · terrain · exposure · runout
digging
Removing earth below
north-facing · representative · bench · ruler · thermometer · grid · measurement · photography · documentation · backfill