Avalanche

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An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow, ice, rock, or debris down a slope. Snow avalanches occur when the gravitational force acting on a mass of snow exceeds the strength that holds it in place.

Avalanches may begin as loose-snow releases or as slabs in which a cohesive layer breaks away from the snowpack. Slab avalanches are especially dangerous because they can involve large areas and accelerate quickly.

Conditions that influence avalanche formation include recent snowfall, wind loading, weak layers, temperature changes, slope angle, terrain shape, and human activity. Weather cycles can alter the stability of the snowpack over hours, days, and seasons.

Avalanches are studied through snow-pit observations, weather records, terrain analysis, remote sensing, and stability tests. Forecasting combines these observations with knowledge of recent storms, wind, temperature, and the layered structure of the snow.

Source details and credits

• Source / publisher: Wikipedia
• URL type: WWW
• Credits: Wikipedia
• URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avalanche