AVALANCHES

What?

Falling masses of snow that

contain rocks, soil or ice
that move downhill at
speeds up to 300 kph.

When hazardous?

When interact with people &

surrounding i.e. cause damaged to
properties, death, injuries,
It also cause damaged to transport
networks & livelihood-tourism

TYPES

WET SNOW LOOSE SNOW SLAB

AVALANCHES AVALANCHES AVALANCHES

-Later season -start at a single point -more deadly

-8 to 25 km/hr -involve loose powdery -start due to human error
-causing snow weight 1 snow -a large slab ice & snow
million tonne -occur little warning shear away from hillside &
-any season more rapidly downhill
-speed; 300km/hr -it has immense power
force 50 tonnes/m2

CAUSES

HEAVY SNOWFALL HUMAN HIGH RAINFALL TREE REMOVED

Add weight easily RISE IN Lubricate Snow move

snowfalls TEMPERATURE Off piste snow & downhill
skiing trigger unimpeded
avalanches
Rapid melting
of snow, in
spring
 Ways to reduce

Closing Avalanches
prone slope & issue Trigger small Controlled Avalanches Planning
warning avalanches activities

Where and when to

-Restrict activities; Under controlled Stabilizing snow build infrastructure
snowboarding, skiing condition before pack in starting in mt areas to
in recreation with high the snow pack build zone-prevent snow minimized damage
risk areas. to a dangerous pack from to building &
situation. (use of achieving infrastructure. It is
-close prone slope & explosive to momentum to based on record of
issue warning depend: produce small begin to move previous
snow condition, avalanches) 2.planting of trees avalanches
monitoring danger 3. Building snow activities &
slope &accurate fence to deflect reinforced by
warning avalanches from legislation &
building & slow punishment for
rate movement- infringing the
decrease energy. planning laws.
Forecasting:
-Day to day
management
-predict (hazard land
zoning)
-forecast rely-
stabilizing test,
meterological data

Case study: Galtur Austria.

Where? Tyrolean village of Galtur
When? Tues, 23 Fe, 1999, 4 pm
Causes:
-Jan 20 Jan onwards, a sequence of 3 storms recorded
-Warmer weather at end of Jan causes melting & re-freezing until there was a much greater accumulation of snow
-Temperatures had fluctuated so that heavy wet snow fell on top of dry snow, forming unstable boundaries in the
snow pack
Nature of avalanches:
100 m height, 800 m wide, 2 sources; 200 kmph -300 kmph, 400 000 tonnes & lasted 16 seconds

Effect:
th
People crushed to death, 30 died in event, by 27 Feb -38 final death toll,
40 000 were stranded in ski resort, cars were crushed & hurled across roads, houses
Were completely buried, snow & ice clearly sliced off top of one building.
CASE STUDY: GALTUR AUSTRIA

Where? Tyrolean village of Galtur

When? Tues, 23 Fe, 1999, 4 pm

Causes:
1. Jan 20 Jan onwards, a sequence of 3 storms recorded
2. Warmer weather at end of Jan causes melting & re-freezing until there was a much greater
3. Temperatures had fluctuated so that heavy wet snow fell on top of dry snow, forming unsta
snow pack

Nature of avalanches:
100 m height, 800 m wide, 2 sources; 200 kmph -300 kmph, 400 000 tonnes & lasted 16 seconds

Effect:
People crushed to death, 30 died in event, by 27th Feb -38 final death toll,
40 000 were stranded in ski resort, cars were crushed & hurled across roads, houses
Were completely buried, snow & ice clearly sliced off top of one building.