A snow field, snowfield or neve is an accumulation of permanent snow and ice, typically found above the

snow line The climatic snow line is the boundary between a snow-covered and snow-free surface. The actual snow line may adjust seasonally, and be either significantly higher in elevation, or lower. The permanent snow line is the level above which snow wil ...

, normally in mountainous and

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...

terrain.

Glaciers A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

originate in snowfields. The lower end of a glacier is usually free from snow and

névé Névé is a young, granular type of snow which has been partially melted, refrozen and compacted, yet precedes the form of ice. This type of snow is associated with glacier formation through the process of ''nivation''. Névé that survives a ...

in summer. In the upper end and above the upper boundary of a glacier, the snow field is an

ice field An ice field (also spelled icefield) is a mass of interconnected valley glaciers (also called mountain glaciers or alpine glaciers) on a mountain mass with protruding rock ridges or summits. They are often found in the colder climates and highe ...

covered with snow. The glacier upper boundary, where it emerges from under a snow field, is ill-defined because of gradual transition.Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin, Rollin D. Salisbury (1904) "Geology"
p. 258

References

Bodies of ice Landforms {{glaciology-stub it:Formazioni nevose perenni#Nevaio