International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings - Montana State University Library

Item: Observations of Snow Avalanches on Dynamic Internal Structures at Alta, Utah

• • Title: Observations of Snow Avalanches on Dynamic Internal Structures at Alta, Utah

    Proceedings: Proceedings of the 1994 International Snow Science Workshop, Snowbird, Utah, USA

    Authors:

    • Osamu Abe  [ Shinjo Branch of Snow and Ice Studies, National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) Tokamachi, Shinjo-shi, Yamagata-ken, 996 Japan ]
    • Tsutomu Nakamura  [ Nagaoka Institute of Snow and Ice Studies, NIED Suyoshi, Nagaoka-shi, Niigata-ken, 940 Japan ]
    • Yasuaki Nohguchi  [ Nagaoka Institute of Snow and Ice Studies, NIED Suyoshi, Nagaoka-shi, Niigata-ken, 940 Japan ]
    • Rand Decker  [ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Utah Merrill Engineering Bldg., Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA ]
    • Thor Femenias  [ Department of Civil Engineering, University of Utah Merrill Engineering Bldg., Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA ]
    • Daniel Howlett  [ Center for Snow Science at Alta, Post Office Box 8067, Alta, Utah 84092 USA ]

    Date: 1994

    Abstract: Observations of snow avalanches on dynamic internal structures were carried out at Alta, Utah as a Japan/U.S. joint research project. A pylon to measure the impact pressures of snow avalanches was installed beneath Mount Baldy in an avalanche path which releases frequency both naturally and artificially. The mean slope angle of the avalanche path is approximately in 37 degrees. Three pairs of pressure gauges of 1.2 cmin diameter and two load cells with a pressure plate of 12.0 cm in diameter were set up on the pylon. Each pressure gauge has a sufficient small contact area as compared with to a snow block contained in avalanches. The pairs of the pressure gauges were prepared to determine the internal velocities from the lag times of each two impact pressure waves. A data set with regard to the internal structures was obtained by the research project. Meteorological data were also obtained in the Alta ski area. The data is being analyzed in the both countries.

    Language of Article: English

    Presenters: Unknown

    Keywords: avalanche path, avalanche release

    Page Number(s): 385-392

    Subjects: snow avalanches avalanche release avalanche paths

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