Back Büßereis German Penitentes (glaciología) Spanish Penitente zuriak Basque Pénitents de neige French Penitentes Croatian Neve penitente Italian ペニテンテ (自然現象) Japanese Penitentai Lithuanian Penitentes NN Penitent (glacjologia) Polish

Penitente (snow formation)

Penitentes under the night sky of the Atacama Desert
Field of penitentes (1.5–2 metres or 5–7 feet high); upper Rio Blanco, Central Andes of Argentina
Small penitentes in the summit crater of Mount Rainier
Penitentes ice formations at the southern end of the Chajnantor plain in Chile
Penitentes near the summit of the Agua Negra Pass on the border between Chile and Argentina

Penitentes, or nieves penitentes (Spanish for "penitent snows"), are snow formations found at high altitudes. They take the form of elongated, thin blades of hardened snow or ice, closely spaced and pointing towards the general direction of the sun.[1]

The name comes from the resemblance of a field of penitentes to a crowd of kneeling people doing penance. The formation evokes the tall, pointed habits and hoods worn by brothers of religious orders in the Processions of Penance during Spanish Holy Week. In particular, the brothers' hats are tall, narrow, and white, with a pointed top.

These spires of snow and ice grow over all glaciated and snow-covered areas in the Dry Andes above 4,000 metres (13,000 ft).[2][3][4] They range in length from a few centimetres to over 5 metres (16 ft).[4][5]

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lliboutry1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Lliboutry3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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