Snow and Avalanche Glossary

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Crown

Also: Crown Surface, Crown Wall, Crown Line, Fracture Line, Crown Region

The upper fracture surface of a slab avalanche. The Crown Surface (or Crown Wall) is the top fracture surface, typically perpendicular to the bed surface, exposed by the tensile fracture along the top of a slab avalanche. The line across a slope, often visible from a distance, made by the crown surface is called the Crown Line. The Crown Region is the area encompassing the extent of a crown fracture or potential crown fracture.

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