| Term: | Facies |
| Definition: |
A collection of attributes serving to distinguish one part of the glacier from others; by extension, the part of the glacier so distinguished. The term, originally Latin for 'face, outward appearance', was borrowed from geology. Examples of diagnostic attributes include ice lenses in the firn, indicating refreezing and therefore the percolation facies; the absence of such lenses, possibly suggesting the dry snow facies; or the seasonal exposure of glacier ice, indicating the ablation facies. In glaciology the term zone is equivalent and is now more common. IHPGlacierMassBalance
GCW |