nival

Nival is an adjective used in geography, geology, glaciology, and ecology to describe features, processes, or life associated with snow, especially persistent or permanent snow in mountain regions or polar areas. The term ultimately derives from the Latin nivis, meaning snow, and entered scientific usage through European languages in the 18th to 19th centuries.

In physical geography and climatology, the nival zone refers to the portion of a landscape where snow persists for most of the year, typically at high elevations where accumulation outpaces melt. Related concepts include nival climate or snow climate, which describe cold, snow-dominated environments with extended cold seasons and characteristic hydrological regimes. Nival processes include avalanching and nivation—the weathering and erosion that occur under snow patches, contributing to the formation of features such as cirques and tarns.

In ecology, nival flora and fauna denote organisms adapted to severe, cold conditions with short growing seasons. Plants in nival zones are often cushion-forming species, mosses, or lichens, while animal life tends to be small and specialized, including certain invertebrates and snow-adapted arthropods. Nival communities are distinct from subnival and alpine ecosystems, reflecting differences in snow duration, temperature, and available resources.

The term is chiefly employed in academic contexts across earth science disciplines and is used to describe both mountain and high-latitude environments where snow dominates the landscape for significant portions of the year.