Nivation

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Nivation is the process of alternative freeze and thaw by which fallen snow gets converted into mass of ice or Névé, hence the term, nivation. The term glacier is applied only when the ice has accumulated enough for the mass to reach the moving stage. [link]

Nivation has nowdays come to include various subprocesses related to 'snow patches' which may be immobile or semipermanent. These subprocesses include erosion(if any) or initiation of erosion, weathering, meltwaterflow from beneathe the snowpatch etc.

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