Item: DRONE LIDAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AVALANCHES TRIGGERED BY A MID-WINTER RAIN EVENT ON NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
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Title: DRONE LIDAR CHARACTERIZATION OF AVALANCHES TRIGGERED BY A MID-WINTER RAIN EVENT ON NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
Proceedings: Proceedings, International Snow Science Workshop, Whistler, BC, Canada, 2026
Authors:
- Anthony D. Maue [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ]
- Devin Cvitanovich [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ]
- William C. Floyd [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ] [ BC Ministry of Forests, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ] [ University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada ]
- Benjamin O'Connor [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ] [ University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada ]
- Sergey Marchenko [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ]
- Maartje Korver [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ]
- Eva Griffiths [ Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada ] [ University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada ]
Date: 2026-09-28
Abstract: As part of ongoing snow hydrology research, regular drone- and plane-based lidar surveys are conducted each winter and spring in the Russell Creek Experimental Watershed (50.325°N, 126.360°W; MAP 2300 mm), a tributary of the Tsitika River on northern Vancouver Island, BC. Ten weather stations at Russell Creek cover a range of elevations from 280 to 1516 m ASL. In 2025, six drone lidar surveys covering an 8.5 km² subbasin of Russell Creek were conducted monthly from January to June. Between the February and March surveys, a region-wide avalanche cycle occurred on February 22, 2025. In the weeks leading up to the event, skies were relatively clear from January 15 through 29, with generally freezing temperatures January 16 to 25 before warming January 26 to 29, when temperatures inverted. After forming a crust, approximately 50 cm of snow fell, followed by a rare occurrence of 10 days with clear skies and freezing temperatures. Temperatures gradually increased to between -2 and +2 °C in the two weeks leading to February 22, when 30 to 40 mm of rain fell in a 4-hour period, likely triggering the avalanches in this study. At the highest weather station (1516 m), this precipitation fell as ~10 cm of snow, which may have turned to rain as air temperature there increased above freezing later in the day. The overall minimal snowfall and cool temperatures between the two relevant lidar surveys provide an excellent opportunity for quantifying avalanche properties. Lidar coverage of the watershed at ~400 pts/m² has enabled topographic analyses of the alpine before and after the avalanche event using high-resolution snow surface DEMs (as fine as 25 cm) with vertical RMSE of ~10 cm. Estimates of the largest avalanches indicate snow volumes up to several thousand cubic meters, fitting within size 1 and 2 avalanches. Snow moved during this event represents 1% of the total snow volume in the studied subbasin. High-resolution lidar acquisitions and the wealth of weather station data at Russell Creek support a detailed case study of these avalanches and the related mid-winter rain event—an occurrence that will become more frequent with a warming climate.
Object ID: ISSW2026_P3.56.pdf
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15788/1790099226
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Anthony Maue
Keywords: lidar, drone, snow depth, rain, weather station
Page Number(s): 2295 - 2301
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