[ney-vey] 
| 1. | granular snow accumulated on high mountains and subsequently compacted into glacial ice. |
| 2. | a field of such snow. |
| né·vé (nā-vā') n.
[French, from French dialectal névi, from Vulgar Latin *nivātum, from neuter of Latin nivātus, cooled by snow, from nix, niv-, snow; see sneigwh- in Indo-European roots.] |
névé (nā-vā') Pronunciation Key
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neve
partially compacted granular snow that is the intermediate stage between snow and glacial ice. Firn is found under the snow that accumulates at the head of a glacier. It is formed under the pressure of overlying snow by the processes of compaction, recrystallization, localized melting, and the crushing of individual snowflakes. This process is thought to take a period of about one year. Annual layers of firn may often be detected by thin films of dust or ash that accumulate on the surface during each summer.
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