Item: A STANDARDIZED, MULTISCALE, FUZZY SPATIALDATA MODEL FOR AVALANCHE TERRAIN EXPOSURE SCALE MAPPING
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Title: A STANDARDIZED, MULTISCALE, FUZZY SPATIALDATA MODEL FOR AVALANCHE TERRAIN EXPOSURE SCALE MAPPING
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop Proceedings 2023, Bend, Oregon
Authors:
- Eirik Sharp [ Alpine Solutions Avalanche Services, Squamish, BC, Canada ]
- Cam Campbell [ Alpine Solutions Avalanche Services, Squamish, BC, Canada ]
- Grant Statham [ Parks Canada, Banff, AB, Canada ]
- Bryce Schroers [ Avalanche Canada, Revelstoke, BC, Canada ]
Date: 2023-10-08
Abstract: The Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale (ATES) is a valuable tool for describing the severity of avalanche terrain. Traditionally developed for print media, ATES ratings are increasingly provided in digital mapping formats displayed through the web and mobile applications. While digital delivery offers many opportunities, the flexibility of digital platforms can lead users to interact with ATES data beyond their original design intent and mapping standards. Digital delivery would also benefit from a structured approach for generating and cataloging attribute data to ensure data organization, integration, and interpretation. This paper introduces a standardized data model for ATES and a set of topological predicates for ATES-related spatial data for use with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) optimized for existing and anticipated digital use cases. In addition to data standardization, this paper proposes a more nuanced approach to ATES classification by allowing for fuzzy boundaries between features that better accommodate terrain classification uncertainty and enable more flexible mapping. An implementation of the data model is provided as an opensource PostgreSQL database using the POSTGIS extension. This implementation enables the development and storage of ATES data within a single normalized database and provides a vector representation of fuzzy membership in ATES classes. Ultimately, this approach seeks to drive more accurate and streamlined digital ATES mapping processes, optimizing avalanche risk management outcomes.
Object ID: ISSW2023_P2.33.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s): Eirik Sharp
Keywords: avalanche terrain exposure scale, ATES, GIS, land classification, fuzzy sets, mapping
Page Number(s): 838 - 845
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