Item: A portable, variable-speed, penetrometer for snow pit evaluation
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Title: A portable, variable-speed, penetrometer for snow pit evaluation
Proceedings: 2002 International Snow Science Workshop, Penticton, British Columbia
Authors: Roderick Mackenzie, Warwick Payten, P.O. Box 2489V, Melbourne Victoria 3001, Australia
Date: 2002
Abstract: A new, portable, variable-speed, penetronmeter for snow-pit stability evaluation has been developed (named "SABRE"). Despite the heavy reliance on snow-pit information in the avalanche forecasters' arsenal of tools, it has been demonstrated that snow-pits on a single slope have highly variable characteristics. The thirty-five to forty minutes required for digging a snow-pit limits the number of snow-pit tests that can be performed. The portable snow-probe is designed to obtain information on the stiffness, hardness, stability and temperature gradient of the snow pack as quickly as possible. The hand-held probe consists of a high-sensitivity force sensor, an accelerometer, an embedded processor (computer) with a program to correlate the acceleration changes with the force and positional information. SABRE enables the test to be performed in roughly 16 seconds and the calculation of the snow pit profiles takes approximately 2 minutes. Therefore, multiple tests can be performed on any given slope with minimal hassle. Multiple tests mean a greater sample size with a concurrent increase in the validity of the test. Snow pit profiles can be displayed in both graphic and text-based formats on the specially built hand-held computer. Data from up to 80 pushes can be stored on the unit itself and can later be downloaded to a PC for storage and subsequent analyzes. During the course of our research, 3-Dimensional contour plots derived from full across-slope profiling have shown zones of instabilities (subsequently confirmed by an artificially released avalanche)
Presenters: Unknown
Keywords: avalanches, avalanche forecasting, avalanche protection
Subjects: penetrometer snowpits avalanche forecasting
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Digital Abstract Not Available
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