Illustration of the Roles of Snow in the Evolution of the Winter Cover of a Lake

Abstract

Spatial patterns in the snow and ice cover of Elizabeth Lake, Labrador, as surveyed in late February 1979, are displayed and analysed. Relationships between distinct trends in the ice and less distinct trends in the snow are discussed within a context of processes operative during a winter. The nature of and spatial patterns in the winter cover of lakes and of their evolution have important implications for those interested in generalizing about lake ice properties and about the effects of snow and ice on the lake ecosystem.