Which thickness describes a very thin layer in the snowpack?

• A. Less than 50 cm
• B. Greater than 20 cm
• C. Equal to 10 cm
• D. Less than 10 cm

Answer: (D)

Thickness in the snowpack is about how deep a given layer is. A very thin layer means a small depth, only a few centimeters or less. Among the choices, the description that clearly denotes a very small depth is a thickness under 10 cm. The other options describe layers that are much thicker: less than 50 cm could still be quite substantial; greater than 20 cm is thicker than a shallow layer; and exactly 10 cm is thin, but not in the “very thin” range. So under 10 cm best captures a very thin layer. In practice, such a shallow layer can still create fragile interfaces that influence stability, like a thin crust or a shallow facet layer beneath a surface layer, which matters for avalanche risk.