Item: ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DATA PRODUCING THE AVALANCHE BULLETIN: WHAT ROLE DOES DIRECT OBSERVATION IN THE FIELD PLAY?
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Title: ABUNDANCE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND DATA PRODUCING THE AVALANCHE BULLETIN: WHAT ROLE DOES DIRECT OBSERVATION IN THE FIELD PLAY?
Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2024, Tromsø, Norway
Authors:
- Faletto Mattia [ ARPA Piemonte, Dep. of Natural and Environmental Risks - Monitoring and Geological Studies Facility - Turin, Italy ]
- Pivot Stefano [ 2Regional Functional and Planning Centre, Autonomous Region of Aosta Valley, Quart (AO), Italy ]
- Chiambretti Igor [ AINEVA, Trento, Italy; ] [ Corresponding Author ]
- Bormioli Daniele [ ARPA Piemonte, Dep. of Natural and Environmental Risks - Monitoring and Geological Studies Facility - Turin, Italy ]
Date: 2024-09-23
Abstract: Technology lets us quickly process information to produce increasingly accurate and detailed avalanche forecasts. However, a good forecast cannot be made without direct investigations of the snowpack, which allows the avalanche forecaster to understand the stability dynamics and snow evolution. Technology helps, but getting your hands in the snow is still crucial! Even though field investigations are designed to objectivise the personal assessments that everyone makes during a trip through the snowy terrain, there is always some subjective influence due to individual experience. The ability to evaluate in the field derives mainly from the experience of the surveyor-forecaster, the methodology used and the territorial context in which the activity takes place. This work aims to present the experience of the comparison made in the field by the AINEVA forecasting group during this 2023-2024 winter season and to highlight the need for comparison in the field between the various avalanche services (European, international, etc.) because data and computer processing make sense if we know what they mean in the field, and above all if we all interpret the actual snowpack conditions in the same way. Practical training in the field will always be necessary to consolidate an experience that will be challenged every time one approaches the practical application of snowpack knowledge. Comparison between different forecasters is the best way to improve and grow. From these meetings, the opportunity emerged to standardise route selection strategies and sometimes survey methods to reduce the uncertainty of assessments related to spatial variability as much as possible.
Object ID: ISSW2024_P1.22.pdf
Language of Article: English
Presenter(s):
Keywords: field evaluation comparison, wandering snowpack observations, avalanche forecasting, regional avalanche bulletin
Page Number(s): 204 - 207
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