Abstract
To understand the metamorphism of the lower part of snow covers, we measured the temperature of snows at Murodo-daira in Mt. Tateyama from early winter to spring. The snow depth at Murodo-daira is always 6m in the spring. We also observed in situ the metamorphism of the lower part of the snow cover by using a digital camera. Analyzed snow temperatures showed that there was a temperature gradient, and the pictures showed that some of the snow melted at the lower part of the snow cover. These results are due to thermal conduction from the ground to the snow cover, which caused some lower part of the snow to melt in winter. We also observed water penetrations in the early winter and
spring.
