Penitentes

Penitentes

Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for "penitente-shaped snows"), are a snow formation found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall thin blades of hardened snow, or ice, closely spaced with the blades oriented towards the general direction of the sun. Penitentes can be as tall as a person.

These pinnacles of snow or ice grow over all glaciated and snow-covered areas in the Dry Andes above 4,000 metres or 13,120 feet (Lliboutry 1954a, Lliboutry 1954b, Lliboutry 1965). They range in size from a few centimetres (half-inch) to over 5 metres or 16 feet (Lliboutry 1965, Naruse and Leiva 1997).