Item: Terrain Analysis of Skier-Triggered Avalanche Starting Zones
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Title: Terrain Analysis of Skier-Triggered Avalanche Starting Zones
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013
Authors:
- Irene Vontobel [ Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland ]
- Stephan Harvey [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Ross S. Purves [ Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland ]
Date: 2013-10-07
Abstract: Terrain is one of the main factors contributing to avalanche formation and important for the assessment of avalanche risk. Terrain characteristics of small to medium human triggered avalanches have however been the subject of limited attention. This work focused on analyzing the terrain characteristics of human triggered avalanches and their starting zones. Photos and shapes of avalanches in Switzerland between 1999/2000 and 2009/2010 and a high-quality digital elevation models (ADS-DOM) were used for this study. It was possible to digitalize 142 starting zones and to analyse them at high resolution with the ADS-DOM. Geomorphometric methods were used to extract different terrain features (ridges, slope, aspect, roughness, exposure and curvature) from the DEM. Furthermore a method was developed to estimate starting zones from a complete avalanche perimeter und to divide the starting zones automatically in different districts. The majority of the avalanches were released on planar or concave slopes and the roughness of the terrain corresponded a relatively constant debris covered surface. The slope angle often decreased from the crown to the Stauchwall.
Language of Article: English
Presenters: Unknown
Keywords: avalanche, avalanche starting zone, terrain, GIS
Page Number(s): 371-375
Subjects: avalanche starting zones geographic information system (gis) skier-triggered avalanches
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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