Sublimation is the transition of water directly from a solid to gaseous state. This is evident in the spring, when snowpack is exposed to the sun. The sun causes snow to evaporate directly, or sublimate, from the solid snowpack state. A great example of this is a a snow patch located up Logan Canyon at the confluence of Little Bear Creek and the Logan River (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Snow patch sublimating up Logan Canyon at the confluence of Little Bear Creek and the Logan River.