Item: Snow Profile Visualisations to Highlight Structural Instability Conditions
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Title: Snow Profile Visualisations to Highlight Structural Instability Conditions
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Grenoble – Chamonix Mont-Blanc - October 07-11, 2013
Authors:
- Fabiano Monti [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
- Jürg Schweizer [ WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland ]
Date: 2013-10-07
Abstract: Interpreting snow profiles is a fairly subjective process, especially when snow stratigraphy was recorded without performing a stability test at the same time. We suggest new ways to visualize snow stratigraphy to facilitate a fast and intuitive interpretation of a snow profile in regard to stability. Whereas hand hardness is related to snow stability, it is not sufficient to detect potential weak layers by itself. If hand hardness is combined with other snowpack properties (e.g. grain size and type, differences in grain size, failure layer depth) it is possible to identify structural discontinuities related to mechanical instability. The most known method allowing a semi-quantitative stability analysis of snow profiles is the threshold sum approach (TSA). Two of the proposed methods to visualize snow stratigraphy in regard to stability are based on the TSA. In addition, we refined the TSA, so that it is no longer based on absolute threshold values but relative ones; this method is called relative threshold sum approach (RTA). The latter two methods allow displaying a profile similar to the classic representation but assigning TSA or RTA scores to snow layers instead of hardness. These visualizations sum up, in a single graph, information on six structural variables; they help to not only highlight the characteristics of the weak layer, but also the structural properties of the potential slab. In addition, the visualisation can as well be applied without any refinement to simulated snow stratigraphy profiles.
Language of Article: English
Presenters: Unknown
Keywords: snow stratigraphy, snow profile, snow stability evaluation
Page Number(s): 344-346
Subjects: snow stratigraphy snow profile snow stability
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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