International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings - Montana State University Library

Item: The use of SAR satellite observations to evaluate avalanche activities in the French Alps during remarkable episodes of the 2017-2018 season

• • Title: The use of SAR satellite observations to evaluate avalanche activities in the French Alps during remarkable episodes of the 2017-2018 season

    Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings 2018, Innsbruck, Austria

    Authors:

    • Cécile Coleou  [ Météo-France, DirOP, Cellule Montagne Nivologie, Grenoble, France ]
    • Fatima Karbou  [ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse, Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, CEN, Grenoble, France ]
    • Michael Deschartes  [ ETNA, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRSTEA, Grenoble, France ]
    • Rémy Martin  [ ONF-RTM, Annecy, France ]
    • Anne Dufour  [ Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Université de Toulouse, Météo-France, CNRS, CNRM, CEN, Grenoble, France ]
    • Nicolas Eckert  [ ETNA, Université Grenoble Alpes, IRSTEA, Grenoble, France ]

    Date: 2018-10-07

    Abstract: A good knowledge of the avalanche activity over wide mountain areas is a perquisite for accurate avalanche forecasts. This requirement is rather difficult to satisfy since target episodes are usually associated with severe weather conditions during which in-situ observations are very difficult to make. In this work, we use avalanche debris maps for the entire French Alps derived form C band SAR observations of Sentinel-1 satellites (Karbou et al. 2018) as a tool to infer the alpine avalanche activity every 6 days. We focus on the period ranging from December 20th 2017 to April 22th 2018 during which several avalanche cycles caused by strong storms occurred in winter and unusual wet snow avalanche activity occurred in spring. A cross evaluation of the satellite products against well documented avalanches events (from in-situ observations) has been performed. The meteorological conditions given by meteorological forecasts from Numerical Weather Prediction models as well as snowpack analysis/forecasts from the Crocus model have also been considered. The use of all available data and models allows relevant feedback on avalanche forecasts and also some guidance to the limits of the current version of the avalanche debris SAR product as well as potential improvements of forecast methods/models. In particular, a focus is made on elaborating strategies to better identify avalanche risk zones and periods to complement other existing database mostly based on visual observations.

    Object ID: ISSW2018_P04.12.pdf

    Language of Article: English

    Presenter(s):

    Keywords: Avalanche observation.

    Page Number(s): 392-395

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