Articles | Volume 20, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3959-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-3959-2026
Research article
 | 
20 Jul 2026
Research article |  | 20 Jul 2026

Local-scale variability in snow chemistry drives distinct microbial communities in Alpine seasonal snowpack

Anastasiia Kosolapova, Romain Castro, Ferran Romero, Catherine Larose, and Ianina Altshuler

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Seasonal snow acts as a dynamic medium, accumulating atmospheric particles and microorganisms, creating unique microbial habitats in alpine environments. At the local scale, snow depth, not valley location, mainly drives chemical composition and bacterial community structure, while elevation predicts community differences across sites. Diversity drops within just 10–15 cm depth, reflecting distinct atmospheric sources and rapid post-depositional selection at centimetre scales.
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