Definition of nival in English:
nival
adjective
Relating to or characteristic of a region of perpetual snow.
‘the nival zone, the area above about 2,000 meters’- ‘Rivers of the Mackenzie Basin exhibit several seasonal flow patterns that include the nival (snowmelt dominated), proglacial (influenced by glacier melt), wetland, prolacustrine (below large lakes), and regulated flow regimes.’
- ‘The nival regime is modified where additional sources of water supply or significant storage mechanisms alter the streamflow pattern.’
- ‘The prolacustrine regime provides a strong contrast to the nival pattern, in that large lake storage strongly attenuates high flows and maintains steady runoff during the winter.’
Pronunciation
Origin
Mid 17th century from Latin nivalis, from nix, niv- ‘snow’.
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