Dust in the snow pit (IMAGE) University of Utah Caption (a) Snow pit at the Alta Study Plot on date of peak Snow Water Equivalent. Melt pooling and ice lenses form when liquid water pools at a capillary barrier within the snowpack and are highlighted in the image so that they can be differentiated from the dust layers. (b) Image showing a typical pre-frontal dust-on-snow event in the Wasatch Mountains. Credit Enviro Res Letters—June-2023 Usage Restrictions Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted. Adaptations must be shared under the same terms. License CC BY-NC-SA Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.