Penitentes are snow formations found at high altitudes. They take the form of tall, thin blades of hardened snow with blades oriented toward the sun. They can be up to six feet tall and were first described by Darwin from his journal describing how he had to work through masses of them near the Piuquenes Pass on the way from Santiago de Chile to Mendoza.
They are caused through a process called sublimation, where the sun turns snow directly into vapor before it has the opportunity to melt into water. Some theorize that certain patches of snow become polluted with carbon matter, which retains the heat from the sun, and causes the formation. The impact could be significant on glacial melting, with arguments either way regarding the benefits or troubles the phenomenon causes. Either way, They make for fascinating fields of spiked formations.
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