Item: Forecasting Forest Avalanches: A Review of Winter 2011/12
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Title: Forecasting Forest Avalanches: A Review of Winter 2011/12
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013
Authors:
- Michaela Teich [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ] [ Planning of Landscape and Urban Systems PLUS, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland ]
- Frank Techel [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Peder Caviezel [ Uffizi da fabrica chantunal, District IV / Tiefbauamt Graubünden, Bezirk 4 Scuol ]
- Peter Bebi [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
Date: 2013-10-07
Abstract: Mountain forests play a crucial role in avalanche mitigation by hindering avalanche formation. Nevertheless, due to the complex interactions between ecological conditions, terrain, snowpack and meteorological parameters the protective effect of forests may be reduced. Therefore, so called ‘forest avalanches’ do occur and may be a threat to roads, railways and ski-runs below the forest. Due to their sporadic occurrence, gaining experience in forecasting forest avalanches is challenging for local avalanche forecasters. We describe a period of widespread high activity of forest avalanches which occurred in late February 2012. The weather situation was characterized by a sudden increase in air temperature which led to a high activity of wet and glide snow avalanches in general; however, the high number of avalanche releases in forests was surprising and challenging for safety authorities since they buried roads, railways and ski-runs. We tested an approach for forest avalanche forecasting which is relatively easy to apply by practitioners. The method is based on the combination of the five meteorological parameters mean air temperature, air temperature difference, new snow height, snow depth and sunshine duration measured by automatic snow and weather stations within a period of five days in the respective area. Two meteorological patterns which increase the probability of forest avalanche releases are distinguished: (1) ‘new snow forest avalanches’ (Type I) and (2) ‘other forest avalanches’ (Type II) which include old, wet and glide snow avalanches. The events in February 2012 were correctly detected by the model as Type II forest avalanches.
Language of Article: English
Presenters: Unknown
Keywords: forest avalanches, forecasting, road, railway, ski-run safety
Page Number(s): 324-330
Subjects: forest avalanche avalanche safety avalanche forecasting
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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