How do Inuit determine direction using snowdrifts?

How do Inuit determine direction using snowdrifts?

• A. Snow type
• B. Snow depth
• C. Wind-shaped snow formations
• D. Snow color

Answer: (C)

Wind shapes snowdrifts by moving snow and piling it up in predictable ways. The drift tends to form a sharper, steeper windward edge where the blowing snow meets the surface, while the downwind (leeside) side becomes a smoother, longer slope. By looking at how a drift is oriented, you can tell which direction the wind came from. Snow type, depth, or color can vary for many reasons and don’t reliably indicate direction, whereas the drift’s shape is a direct record of the wind’s path.

Wind shapes snowdrifts by moving snow and piling it up in predictable ways. The drift tends to form a sharper, steeper windward edge where the blowing snow meets the surface, while the downwind (leeside) side becomes a smoother, longer slope. By looking at how a drift is oriented, you can tell which direction the wind came from. Snow type, depth, or color can vary for many reasons and don’t reliably indicate direction, whereas the drift’s shape is a direct record of the wind’s path.