Subnivean climate refers to the zone in and underneath the snow pack. From the Latin for "under" (sub) and "snow" (nives). This is the environment of many animals that remain active during the winter. This zone provides protection from predators and insulation from the elements. The subnivean climate is formed by three different types of snow metamorphosis: destructive metamorphosis, which begins when snow falls; constructive metamorphosis, the movement of water vapor to the surface of the snow pack; and melt metamorphosis, the melting/sublimation of snow to water vapor and its refreezing in the snow pack. These three types of metamorphosis transform individual snowflakes into ice crystals and create spaces under the snow where small animals can move.
Read more about Subnivean Climate: Animal Habitat, Deconstructive Metamorphosis, Constructive Metamorphosis, Melt Metamorphism, Subnivean Environment
Famous quotes containing the word climate:
“Russian forests crash down under the axe, billions of trees are dying, the habitations of animals and birds are layed waste, rivers grow shallow and dry up, marvelous landscapes are disappearing forever.... Man is endowed with creativity in order to multiply that which has been given him; he has not created, but destroyed. There are fewer and fewer forests, rivers are drying up, wildlife has become extinct, the climate is ruined, and the earth is becoming ever poorer and uglier.”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)