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Looking Beyond the Powder/Dense Flow Avalanche Dichotomy
Author(s) -
Faug T.,
Turnbull B.,
Gauer P.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: earth surface
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9011
pISSN - 2169-9003
DOI - 10.1002/2018jf004665
Subject(s) - snow , flow (mathematics) , radar , variety (cybernetics) , geology , meteorology , radar systems , statistical physics , mechanics , physics , computer science , geomorphology , artificial intelligence , telecommunications
Kohler et al. (2018) deploy a high spatial and temporal resolution GEODAR radar system to reveal the inside of snow avalanches over the entire slope. They detect a rich variety of longitudinal and slope normal flow structures across a data set of 77 avalanches recorded over 6 years. Distinctive features in the radar signatures permit the definition of seven flow regimes and three distinct stopping signatures, illustrating behaviours much richer than the conventional dichotomy between dense flow avalanches and powder snow avalanches. This presents modellers with the challenge of exploring the physics of these regimes, the transitions between them and their relationship with the surrounding conditions.