Ablation hollow

From HydroWiki

Ablation hollows also know as suncups is a small depression on the surface of snow or firn. They are formed by the melting and evaporation of the snow surface by insolation (warmth from direct exposure to the sun.) They can be founding lower mountains (Rockies & Alps) and range in size from 2 cm – ½ m.

The Picture being used with Permission of David Robinson

Photo of suncups on the surface of a snow patch in the Italian Alps. The cups measure approximately 30cm across and are at least 45cm long. The photograph was taken at the end of September 2006 after the snow had been exposed to insolation throughout the summer

The Picture being used with Permission of David Robinson (The Geography Site)

A small snow patch in the Italian Alps (photographed in late summer 2006) exhibiting suncups across the surface

References:

The Geography Site http://www.geography-site.co.uk/pages/physical/glaciers/suncups.html

Cryosphere. http://nsidc.org/glaciers/glossary/ablation_hollows.html

Links:

Tiedje, T, et al. Radiation Transport models for ablation hollows on snowfields. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 111, F02015, doi:10.1029/2005JF000395, 2006 http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:zSgGDMB_IBAJ:www.physics.ubc.ca/mbelab/papers/Tiedje_et_al_JGR_2006.pdf+ablation+hollows&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=7

M. D. Betterton. Theory of structure formation in snowfields motivated by penitentes, suncups, and dirt cones. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, VOLUME 63, 056129. April 2001 http://spot.colorado.edu/~mdb/PRE56129.pdf