In comparison with the voluminous literature upon glacial erosion the study of the geomorphological effects of snow has been sadly neglected, though as Costin and others recently pointed out in this Journal (Vol. 5, No. 38, 1964, p. 219–28) agreement has not been reached about the ability of snow to erode. Herr Berger has helped to swell this literature with a useful account of the form and mechanism of moving, static and melting snow and of the resulting effects, with special reference to the Austrian Alps, though general considerations predominate over the particular.
Berger classified the alpine snow into five main classes with thirteen subdivisions, based largely upon measurements of the density and porosity and of more general descriptions of the dampness, grain size and hardness. He has proposed conventional signs for each type but does not provide any map showing their use in the field. He also describes the physical processes in some detail before classifying the nivation forms. Some of the classifications are supported by the generalized results of quantitative work. It would appear that the more detailed results are to be published later.
In the morphological section Berger makes a fundamental distinction between the upper and lower zones which merge about 2,400 m. above sea-level. In the upper zone nivation features such as snow basins and niches tend to be more concentrated and to dominate the landscape, whereas below more linear forms prevail and are less dominant features and are more scattered in their distribution.
The author provides a very valuable bibliography of 149 items and the text is illustrated by 14 clear line diagrams and at the end are 31 photographs of somewhat variable quality though most are of considerable scientific interest and a few possess great artistic merit.
Future workers will be indebted to Herr Berger for this introduction to high mountain morphological processes, but not all will agree with his classifications which, to Anglo-American readers at least, appear to be a little too tidy and precise to fit the various gradations which one encounters in the field.
