Depth hoar

{
  "id": "MLC-T-MET-004935",
  "term": "Depth hoar",
  "field": "Meteorology and atmospheric science",
  "definition": "Large, faceted, cup-shaped ice crystals that form within a snowpack, typically near the ground, due to strong temperature gradients. Water vapor migrates from warmer, wetter layers to colder, drier layers, where it deposits as these distinctive crystals. Depth hoar layers are notoriously weak and are a primary cause of slab avalanches, as they provide a slippery failure plane within the snowpack.",
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/meteorology/depth-hoar/"
}