Item: Avalanches Induced by Earthquake in North Tochigi Prefecture on 25 February 2013
-
-
Title: Avalanches Induced by Earthquake in North Tochigi Prefecture on 25 February 2013
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013
Authors:
- Hiroki Matsushita [ Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region, PWRI, Sapporo, Japan ]
- Shinji Ikeda [ Snow Avalanche and Land Slide Research Center, PWRI, Myoko, Japan ]
- Yasuhiko Ito [ Snow Avalanche and Land Slide Research Center, PWRI, Myoko, Japan ]
- Masaru Matsuzawa [ Snow Avalanche and Land Slide Research Center, PWRI, Myoko, Japan ]
- Hiroshi Nakamura [ Snow Avalanche and Land Slide Research Center, PWRI, Myoko, Japan ]
Date: 2013-10-07
Abstract: We have investigated characteristics of avalanches induced by the North Tochigi Prefecture earthquake with magnitude of 6.3 on February 2012 in Japan and observed snowpack structure at avalanche starting zone. The results indicates that avalanches occurred in entire area along the road with length of about 8 km located on the seismic center and the number of avalanches including small scale collapse of snow on slope was 100 or more. Surface avalanches mostly occurred and had one or two bed surfaces. These bed surfaces corresponded to weak layers which consisted of faceted crystals with low hardness. We also evaluated stability of snowpack on slope under the earthquake and suggested that the avalanches will be induced by decrease in the stability with increase in stress to snowpack due to acceleration caused by the earthquake.
Object ID: ISSW13_paper_P1-41.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Unknown
Keywords: earthquake-induced avalanches, snow pit observation, stability index
Page Number(s): 1122-1129
Subjects: avalanche starting zones surface avalanches snowpack stability
-