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    Avalanches: Item Description Factor

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    meenakshi
    Snow avalanches occur when the balance of forces on a snow-covered slope is lost, causing the snow to slide rapidly down the mountain. Major causes of avalanches include both fixed factors like the slope angle and shape, and variable factors like weather, snow depth, and earthquakes. There are different types of avalanches classified by the snow conditions (dry or wet), which layer of snow is moving (surface or full depth), and how quickly they move (powder, flow, or mixed). To reduce risk, hazardous slopes are identified and monitored, residents are warned, and avalanche control measures are taken. The Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and West

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    Avalanches: Item Description Factor

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    meenakshi
    41 views5 pages
    Snow avalanches occur when the balance of forces on a snow-covered slope is lost, causing the snow to slide rapidly down the mountain. Major causes of avalanches include both fixed factors like the slope angle and shape, and variable factors like weather, snow depth, and earthquakes. There are different types of avalanches classified by the snow conditions (dry or wet), which layer of snow is moving (surface or full depth), and how quickly they move (powder, flow, or mixed). To reduce risk, hazardous slopes are identified and monitored, residents are warned, and avalanche control measures are taken. The Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and West

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    Snow avalanches occur when the balance of forces on a snow-covered slope is lost, causing the snow to slide rapidly down the mountain. Major causes of avalanches include both fixed factors like the slope angle and shape, and variable factors like weather, snow depth, and earthquakes. There are different types of avalanches classified by the snow conditions (dry or wet), which layer of snow is moving (surface or full depth), and how quickly they move (powder, flow, or mixed). To reduce risk, hazardous slopes are identified and monitored, residents are warned, and avalanche control measures are taken. The Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and West

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    41 views5 pages

    Avalanches: Item Description Factor

    Uploaded by

    meenakshi
    Snow avalanches occur when the balance of forces on a snow-covered slope is lost, causing the snow to slide rapidly down the mountain. Major causes of avalanches include both fixed factors like the slope angle and shape, and variable factors like weather, snow depth, and earthquakes. There are different types of avalanches classified by the snow conditions (dry or wet), which layer of snow is moving (surface or full depth), and how quickly they move (powder, flow, or mixed). To reduce risk, hazardous slopes are identified and monitored, residents are warned, and avalanche control measures are taken. The Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and West

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 5

    Avalanches

    Snow cover on a slope tends to slide down the slope because of gravity. Conditions
    affecting stability include the gravitational force component of the snow and resisting
    forces, such as the frictional resistance of the slope or the anchoring effect of shrubs. In
    general, avalanches are caused when this balance is lost and when the forces exceed the
    resistance. Avalanches are rarely observed closely since they normally occur during a
    short time period of one or two minutes. Major Causes - Major causes of avalanches can
    be classified into fixed (prime factors) and variable factors (exciting factors), such as
    weather conditions and the weight of the snow cover, Avalanches occur when these
    factors are combined. The types and scale of avalanches can differ depending on the
    combination of these various factors and their scale. Major prime factors and exciting
    factors are shown in the following table.

    Major Causes of Snow Avalanches

    Item Description Factor


    • Inclination of slope
    • Shape of slope
    Topographic factors • Location (ridge line or toe of
    slope)
    Prime factors • Orientation of slope
    • Vegetation cover and height
    of trees
    Vegetation factors
    • Vegetation cover and its
    thickness
    • Depth of snow cover
    • Depth of snowfall
    Exciting factor Weather factors • Wind velocity
    • Atmospheric and snow
    temperatures
    • Increase in weight of snow
    cover because of snow
    dropping from cornices or
    Other factors snow covers
    • Vibrations such as
    earthquake or the sound of
    gunfire

    Factors Used for classification of Avalanches

    Classification Factor Classification Factor Definition


    Avalanches that flow
    rapidly, spreading
    Loose snow avalanche
    widely from a point
    normally small in scale
    Type of occurrence
    Avalanches that start to
    move suddenly over
    Slab avalanche
    wide areas, normally
    large in scale.
    Avalanches that contain
    Dry snow avalanche
    no water.
    Type of snow
    Avalanches that contain
    Wet snow avalanche
    water.
    Slip surface exists
    Surface layer avalanche
    within the snow cover
    Surface layer avalanche
    Slip surface occurs on
    Full- depth avalanche
    the ground surface

    Avalanche Conditions

    Types of Damage

    The following lists typical examples of damage to roads caused by avalanches. The scale
    of damage can differ depending on the scale and type of avalanche.

    • Traffic blocked by snow deposited on road surface.


    • Roads damaged by avalanches.
    • Road structures, such as retaining walls, overturned.
    • Structures damaged by an avalanche during construction of roads occur most
    frequently.

    Types and Description of Avalanches

    Dry, loose These often occur in low atmospheric temperature or during


    surface -layer snowfalls. This type of avalanche is caused mainly by small masses of
    snow snow falling from snow cornices, tree branches or exposed rock. Dry
    avalanche snow moves down in loose layer.
    Dry, slab These often occur when new snow with a depth of more than 10cm
    surface -layer falls over existing snow cover during low atmospheric temperatures.
    snow Avalanches flow rapidly, taking the from of loose snow powder and
    avalanche often reach several kilometers down the foot of the mountain, causing
    serious disasters.
    Dry, slab Avalanche occurring in areas with low temperatures can have
    full-depth different mechanisms. In regions of relatively high temperatures, this
    snow type of avalanche occurs extensively when the weight of large
    avalanche quantity of snow falls quickly over existing snow deposits on slope at
    low temperatures. In cold regions, snow layers near the ground tend to
    become collapsible and can slide in a full depth if severe cold weather
    has continued for a long time. The dry new surface snow layers tend
    to slide in the form of snow powder and often reaches further down
    the foot of the mountain.
    Wet, loose These can be caused when a 20 to 30 cm layer of new snow layer
    surface layer starts to move, takes a wedge-shaped from and reduces in width. This
    snow avalanche flows smoothly as it advances.
    avalanche
    Wet, slab These can occur when temperature rises in fair weather after a
    surface layer snowfall when the slab snow surface layer contains water. Avalanches
    snow do not take the from of snow powder but move in a smooth flow.
    avalanche
    Wet, slab These can be caused when snow starts to melt in the early spring
    full-depth season and can also result if temperatures rise the winter season. It
    snow can occur either on a rainy day or on a warm day. These will not take
    avalanche the from of snow powder, and move in a smooth flow. This type of
    avalanche often causes serious disasters.

    Characteristic Feature of Avalanche Movement


    Powder This type avalanche often reaches a depth of several tens of meters,
    avalanche taking the from of snow powder moving at a high speed. These most
    often occur during snowfalls at low temperature.

    Flow This type of avalanche appears to move as a flow of water over the
    avalanche snow surface. These are seen as full- depth avalanche occurring when
    atmospheric temperature increases.

    Mixed Powder type and flow avalanches occurring in combination. This type
    avalanche avalanche can occur quickly when large quantity to snow falls over
    unstable snow cover.

    Estimation of Hazardous Slopes

    The following actions are appropriate when avalanche hazard prone slopes are identified;

    • Advise residents of avalanche risk areas using published maps.


    • Afforestation programmes for areas where there is risk of avalanches.
    • Trap avalanches by control measures.
    • Dispose avalanche potential snow packs by artificial triggering.
    • Predict occurrence of avalanches through stability analysis and issue warnings as
    and when necessary.
    • Guide residents to emergency evacuation shelters.

    Avalanches Prone Areas in India

    The Himalayas are well known for the occurrence of snow avalanches particularly
    Western Himalayas I .e. the snowy regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh
    and Western Uttar Pradesh.

    • Jammu and Kashmir - Higher reaches of Kashmir and Gurez valleys, Kargil and
    Ladakh and some of the major roads
    • Himachal Pradesh - Chamba, Kullu- Spiti and Kinnaur vulnerable areas
    • West Uttar Pradesh - Parts of Tehri Garhwal and Chamoli districts are vulnerable
    areas.

    There are three types of snow avalanche zones;


    • Red Zone - The most dangerous zone where snow avalanches are most frequent
    and have an impact pressure of more than 3 tonnes per square metre.
    • Blue Zone - Where the avalanche force is less than 3 tonnes per square metre and
    where living and other activities may be permitted with connection of safe design
    but such areas may have to be vacated on warning.
    • Yellow Zone - Where snow avalanche occur only occasionally.

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