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Snowline

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Dictionary of Geotourism
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This is also known as the balance line, and it is the line where the snowfall equals the melting rate. Because the snowfall above the snowline is greater than the melting rate, the area above the snowline is permanently covered with snow. In contrast, the area below the snowline has annual snowfall less than the melting rate, so the snow cover is only seasonal. Due to the effects of temperature, the amount of precipitation and topography, the elevation of the snowline varies in different regions. The aspect and elevation are the determining factors for the formation of glaciers in any location (Fig. 33).

Fig. 33
figure 1933 figure 1933

Glacial snowline in the Tibetan Plateau (4,200 m)

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(2020). Snowline. In: Chen, A., Ng, Y., Zhang, E., Tian, M. (eds) Dictionary of Geotourism. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2538-0_2284

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