International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings - Montana State University Library

Item: TOWARDS A TECHNICAL AND COMMUNICATION SCHEME FOR AVALANCHE SIZE CLASSIFICATION

• • Title: TOWARDS A TECHNICAL AND COMMUNICATION SCHEME FOR AVALANCHE SIZE CLASSIFICATION

    Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026

    Authors:

    • Jan-Thomas Fischer  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Paula Spannring  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Christoph Hesselbach  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Andreas Huber  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Anna Wirbel  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Anselm Koehler  [ Austrian Research Centre for Forests, Department for Natural Hazards, Innsbruck, Austria ]
    • Betty Sovilla  [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
    • Peter Gauer  [ Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), Oslo, Norway ]
    • Scott Thumlert  [ Alpine Solutions Avalanche Services, Canmore, Alberta, Canada ]

    Date: 2026-09-28

    Abstract: The 1981 Avalanche Atlas is a landmark achievement in snow and avalanche science. It provides a unified, multilingual framework for describing and classifying avalanches in terms of genetics and morphology, serving as a reference for researchers, practitioners, and educators in hazard management worldwide. The presented work is embedded in the IACS working group on International Classification of Snow Avalanches, which aims to update the avalanche classification schemes of the Avalanche Atlas based on 40+ years of developments in avalanche research and practice. It serves as a starting point for discussion within the avalanche community, tackling open classification questions starting from an avalanche-size perspective. As a first step, we highlight the potential of, and challenges facing, existing avalanche classification schemes, with particular focus on avalanche size. To unify existing operational size classifications, we propose the concept of avalanche path and event size, directly connecting relative and absolute size. We further present a first technical and communication scheme based on three independent size criteria - dimension size, runout size, and destructive size - and their corresponding quantifiable characteristics, closely related to current operational schemes. The proposed size classification is designed for forward and backward compatibility, providing a continuous technical and consistent communication scheme that can be used along existing operational size classification schemes while maintaining flexibility for future developments. Finally, we open a discussion bridging the gap between avalanche size, genetics, and morphology, proposing a combination between the established Avalanche Atlas with the presented technical size scheme.

    Object ID: ISSW2026_P1.17.pdf

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790098722

    Language of Article: English

    Presenter(s): Jan-Thomas Fischer

    Keywords: Avalanche Atlas, Avalanche size, Avalanche classification, Avalanche Dynamics, IACS

    Page Number(s): 507 - 514

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