dry-snow zone

The dry-snow zone is a region on glaciers where snow accumulates but does not melt. In this zone, snow transforms into glacier ice through a process of densification. Initially, snow crystals, which are intricate hexagonal shapes, become rounded as molecules evaporate from sharp points and condense in hollows. Wind can also break off crystal points, packing the snow more tightly. As the snowpack densifies, reaching a density of about 830-840 kilograms per cubic meter, the air spaces are sealed off, making the material impermeable and marking the transition to glacier ice. This transformation can take years to millennia depending on the climate and location. The Antarctic Ice Sheet is almost entirely within the dry-snow zone, while Greenland's dry-snow zone covers about 30% of its ice sheet.12