Snow line

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Snow line

, Ecuador (5,897 m), seen from 3,700 m, with the snow line at approximately 5,000 m]] The climatic snow line is the point above which snow and ice cover the ground throughout the year. The actual snow line may seasonally be significantly lower.

The interplay of altitude

Altitude

Altitude has multiple uses depending on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object....
and latitude

Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
affect the precise placement of the snow line at a particular location. At or near the equator

Equator

The equator is the intersection of the Earth's surface with the Plane perpendicular to the Earth's rotation and containing the Earth's center of mass....
, it is typically situated at approximately 4,500 meters (or about 15,000 feet) above sea level

Sea level

Mean sea level is the average height of the sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface. Defining the reference level , however, involves complex measurement, and accurately determining MSL can prove difficult....
.

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Encyclopedia

Altitude

Latitude

Equator

Sea level

Tropic of Cancer

The Tropic of Cancer, or Northern tropic, is one of five major degree measures or major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It is the northernmost latitude at which the Sun can appear directly overhead at noon....
and Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Capricorn

The Tropic of Capricorn, or Southern tropic, is one of the five major circle of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. It lies 23degree 26' 22? south of the Equator, and marks the most southerly latitude at which the sun can appear directly overhead at noon....
, the parameter at first increases: in the Himalayas

Himalayas

The Himalaya Range or Himalayas for short , meaning "abode of snow" ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau....
the permanent snow line can be as high as 5,700 metres (18,700 feet). Beyond the Tropics the snow line becomes progressively lower as the latitude increases, to just below 3,000 metres in the Alps

High Alps

File:Passo-Teodulo.jpgThe High Alps are those parts of the Alps unsuitable for habitation or seasonal transhumance in the Alps. This includes all regions higher than 3,000 m above sea level, as well as most regions between 2,500 m and 3,000 m ....
and falling all the way to sea level itself at the ice cap

Ice cap

An ice cap is an ice mass that covers less than 50 000 km? of land area . Masses of ice covering more than 50 000 km? are termed an ice sheet....
s near the poles

Polar climate

Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers .The tundra covers over 20% of the earth. The sun shines 24 hours in the summer, and barely shines at all in the winter ....
.

In addition, the relative location to the nearest coastline can influence the altitude of the snow line. Areas near a coast might have a lower snow line than areas of the same altitude and latitude situated in a landmass interior due to more winter snowfall and because the average summer temperature

Temperature

In physics, temperature is a physical property of a Physical system that underlies the common notions of hot and cold; something that feels hotter generally has the greater temperature....
of the surrounding lowlands would be warmer away from the sea. A higher altitude is therefore necessary to lower the temperature further against the surroundings and keep the snow from melting in the summer.

Levels of the climatic snow line:

Svalbard Svalbard Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean north of mainland Europe, about midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. It consists of a group of islands ranging from 74th parallel north to 81st parallel north, and 10th meridian east to 35th meridian east....	78°N	300–600 m
Scandinavia Scandinavia Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland.... at the polar circle Polar circle A polar circle is either the Arctic Circle or the Antarctic Circle. On Earth, the Arctic Circle is located at a latitude of 66? 33' 38" N, and the Antarctic Circle is located at a latitude of 66? 33' 38" S....	67°N	1000–1500 m
Iceland Iceland Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland , is an island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean between mainland Europe and Greenland....	65°N	700–1100 m
southern Scandinavia Scandinavia Scandinavia is a historical and geographical subregion in northern Europe that includes the Scandinavian Peninsula. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark; some authorities also include Finland and some might even include Iceland....	62°N	1200–2200 m
Alps Alps The Alps is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west.... (northern slopes)	48°N	2500–2800 m
Central Alps	47°N	2900–3200 m
Alps Alps The Alps is the name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west.... (southern slopes)	46°N	2700–2800 m
Pyrenees Pyrenees The Pyrenees are a mountain range in southwest Europe that form a natural border between France and Spain. They separate the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe, and extend for about from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea ....	43°N	2600–2900 m
Caucasus Caucasus The Caucasus or Caucas is a geopolitical region located between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It is home to Europe's highest mountain ....	43°N	2700–3800 m
Karakorum Karakorum Karakorum was the capital of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century, although for only about 30 years. Its ruins lie in the northwestern corner of the ?v?rkhangai Province of Mongolia, near today's town of Kharkhorin, and adjacent to the Erdene Zuu monastery....	36°N	5400–5800 m
Transhimalaya	32°N	6300–6500 m
Himalaya	30°N	4800–6000 m
Kenya Kenya The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border....	0°	4600–4700 m
New Guinea New Guinea New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the List of islands by area, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known as the Torres Strait flooded after the last glacial period....	2°S	4600–4700 m
Andes Andes The Andes form the world's longest exposed mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. The range is over 7,000 km long, 200-700 km wide , and of an average height of about 4,000 m .... in Ecuador Ecuador Ecuador , officially the , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west....	2°S	4800–5000 m
Kilimanjaro	3°S	5500–5600 m
Andes Andes The Andes form the world's longest exposed mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. The range is over 7,000 km long, 200-700 km wide , and of an average height of about 4,000 m .... in Chile Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow coastal strip wedged between the Andes mountains and the Pacific Ocean....	27°S	5800–6500 m
New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....	43°S	1600–2700 m
Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego Tierra del Fuego is an archipelago separated from the southernmost tip of the South American mainland by the Strait of Magellan. The southern point of the archipelago forms Cape Horn....	54°S	800–1300 m
Antarctica Antarctica Antarctica is Earth's southernmost continent, overlying the South Pole. It is situated in the Antarctica of the southern hemisphere, almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle, and is surrounded by the Southern Ocean....	70°S	0–400 m

Snow line

See also