Zastrugi

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A series of sharp, zigzag ridges formed on the surface of hardened snow due to wind erosion or sublimation
2. Commonly found in frozen environments where wind patterns shape the snow
3. This term is often used in polar regions to describe the irregularities created in a snowfield by climatic conditions

Etymology: Wind-carved snow ridges are not a feature most English speakers have ever needed a name for, and the word arrived in English by way of the Russian explorers who worked in Antarctica and the Arctic. The Russian "заструги" (zastrugi) is the plural of "заструг" (zastrug), a ridge scoured into snow by the wind. The word is a loan from Russian, and in English it is used almost exclusively in polar and glaciological writing, where the ridges are a common sight on the ice sheets. The Russian root points to the sense of the word. The prefix "за-" (za-) means "behind" or "beyond," and "стругать" (strugat') means "to plane" or "to shave," so the ridges are literally shavings or planings left behind by the wind on the snow surface. The image is close to that of wood planed smooth, with the wind as the carpenter.

Synonyms: wind-formed snow ridges