Articles | Volume 12, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3759-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-3759-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
30 Nov 2018
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 30 Nov 2018
| 30 Nov 2018
Cold-to-warm flow regime transition in snow avalanches
Anselm Köhler
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
Jan-Thomas Fischer
Austrian Research Centre for Forests (BFW), Innsbruck, Austria
Riccardo Scandroglio
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Mathias Bavay
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
Jim McElwaine
Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK
Betty Sovilla
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos Dorf, Switzerland
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Cited
30 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Synergistic effects of warming and heavy snowfall accumulation on the increased risk of large-scale snow avalanches in the western Tianshan Mountains G. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2025.09.009
- Application of dendrogeomorphology in snow avalanche hazard assessment: progress and prospects G. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-024-9362-9
- Phenomenology of Avalanche Recordings From Distributed Acoustic Sensing P. Paitz et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007011
- Detecting the impact of climate change on alpine mass movements in observational records from the European Alps M. Jacquemart et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104886
- Angle of repose experiments with snow: role of grain shape and cohesion C. Willibald et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.36
- Integrating snowpack mechanical properties into snow avalanche susceptibility mapping in continental dry–cold mountain regions H. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2026.2660863
- Modelling erosion, entrainment and deposition in cohesive granular flows: Application to dense snow avalanches C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2023.104103
- Refining gravity flow and snow avalanche signatures in lacustrine sediments—a novel facies model D. Rüther et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.70055
- A Perspective of Surge Dynamics in Natural Debris Flows Through Pulse‐Doppler Radar Observations T. Schöffl et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007171
- A comparison of hydrological models with different level of complexity in Alpine regions in the context of climate change F. Carletti et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3447-2022
- Numerical investigation of surface characteristics and internal structure of snow avalanche under different flow regimes P. Yue et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2026.109157
- Three-dimensional and real-scale modeling of flow regimes in dense snow avalanches X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01692-8
- Particle trajectories, velocities, accelerations and rotation rates in snow avalanches M. Neuhauser et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2023.69
- Investigating the release and flow of snow avalanches at the slope-scale using a unified model based on the material point method J. Gaume et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102847
- Impacts of land-cover changes on snow avalanche activity in the French Alps R. Mainieri et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100244
- Climate change impacts on snow avalanche activity and related risks N. Eckert et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00540-2
- Impact of climate change on snow avalanche activity in the Swiss Alps S. Mayer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5495-2024
- Investigating snow avalanche dynamics with a unified critical state μ(I) elastoplastic damage constitutive model P. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2026.122627
- Mobility of cohesive granular flows over erodible beds: insights from discrete element simulations C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-025-01524-9
- The Avalanche of Les Fonts d’Arinsal (Andorra): An Example of a Pure Powder, Dry Snow Avalanche G. Furdada et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040126
- Effects of Climate Change on Avalanche Accidents and Survival G. Strapazzon et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.639433
- Seismic location and tracking of snow avalanches and slush flows on Mt. Fuji, Japan C. Pérez-Guillén et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-989-2019
- Simulation of cold-powder snow avalanches considering daily snowpack and weather situations J. Glaus et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2399-2025
- An optimization on machine learning algorithms for mapping snow avalanche susceptibility P. Yariyan et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05045-5
- Decoupling the Role of Inertia, Friction, and Cohesion in Dense Granular Avalanche Pressure Build‐up on Obstacles M. Kyburz et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005192
- Characteristics and hazards of different snow avalanche types in a continental snow climate region in the Central Tianshan Mountains J. Hao et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-021-0058-5
- Inishell 2.0: semantically driven automatic GUI generation for scientific models M. Bavay et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-365-2022
- Particle tracking in snow avalanches with in situ calibrated inertial measurement units R. Winkler et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2024.5
- Wet snow avalanche preconditions from Sentinel-1 multi-track composites G. Dasser et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4811-2026
- Numerical investigation of the effect of cohesion and ground friction on snow avalanches flow regimes C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264033
30 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Synergistic effects of warming and heavy snowfall accumulation on the increased risk of large-scale snow avalanches in the western Tianshan Mountains G. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accre.2025.09.009
- Application of dendrogeomorphology in snow avalanche hazard assessment: progress and prospects G. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-024-9362-9
- Phenomenology of Avalanche Recordings From Distributed Acoustic Sensing P. Paitz et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF007011
- Detecting the impact of climate change on alpine mass movements in observational records from the European Alps M. Jacquemart et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2024.104886
- Angle of repose experiments with snow: role of grain shape and cohesion C. Willibald et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2020.36
- Integrating snowpack mechanical properties into snow avalanche susceptibility mapping in continental dry–cold mountain regions H. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2026.2660863
- Modelling erosion, entrainment and deposition in cohesive granular flows: Application to dense snow avalanches C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2023.104103
- Refining gravity flow and snow avalanche signatures in lacustrine sediments—a novel facies model D. Rüther et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.70055
- A Perspective of Surge Dynamics in Natural Debris Flows Through Pulse‐Doppler Radar Observations T. Schöffl et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007171
- A comparison of hydrological models with different level of complexity in Alpine regions in the context of climate change F. Carletti et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3447-2022
- Numerical investigation of surface characteristics and internal structure of snow avalanche under different flow regimes P. Yue et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2026.109157
- Three-dimensional and real-scale modeling of flow regimes in dense snow avalanches X. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-021-01692-8
- Particle trajectories, velocities, accelerations and rotation rates in snow avalanches M. Neuhauser et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2023.69
- Investigating the release and flow of snow avalanches at the slope-scale using a unified model based on the material point method J. Gaume et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102847
- Impacts of land-cover changes on snow avalanche activity in the French Alps R. Mainieri et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2020.100244
- Climate change impacts on snow avalanche activity and related risks N. Eckert et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-024-00540-2
- Impact of climate change on snow avalanche activity in the Swiss Alps S. Mayer et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5495-2024
- Investigating snow avalanche dynamics with a unified critical state μ(I) elastoplastic damage constitutive model P. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2026.122627
- Mobility of cohesive granular flows over erodible beds: insights from discrete element simulations C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10035-025-01524-9
- The Avalanche of Les Fonts d’Arinsal (Andorra): An Example of a Pure Powder, Dry Snow Avalanche G. Furdada et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040126
- Effects of Climate Change on Avalanche Accidents and Survival G. Strapazzon et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.639433
- Seismic location and tracking of snow avalanches and slush flows on Mt. Fuji, Japan C. Pérez-Guillén et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-989-2019
- Simulation of cold-powder snow avalanches considering daily snowpack and weather situations J. Glaus et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2399-2025
- An optimization on machine learning algorithms for mapping snow avalanche susceptibility P. Yariyan et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05045-5
- Decoupling the Role of Inertia, Friction, and Cohesion in Dense Granular Avalanche Pressure Build‐up on Obstacles M. Kyburz et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JF005192
- Characteristics and hazards of different snow avalanche types in a continental snow climate region in the Central Tianshan Mountains J. Hao et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-021-0058-5
- Inishell 2.0: semantically driven automatic GUI generation for scientific models M. Bavay et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-365-2022
- Particle tracking in snow avalanches with in situ calibrated inertial measurement units R. Winkler et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2024.5
- Wet snow avalanche preconditions from Sentinel-1 multi-track composites G. Dasser et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4811-2026
- Numerical investigation of the effect of cohesion and ground friction on snow avalanches flow regimes C. Ligneau et al. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264033
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 07 Nov 2026
Short summary
Snow avalanches show complicated flow behaviour, characterized by several flow regimes which coexist in one avalanche. In this work, we analyse flow regime transitions where a powder snow avalanche transforms into a plug flow avalanche by incorporating warm snow due to entrainment. Prediction of such a transition is very important for hazard mitigation, as the efficiency of protection dams are strongly dependent on the flow regime, and our results should be incorporated into avalanche models.
Snow avalanches show complicated flow behaviour, characterized by several flow regimes which...
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