Articles | Volume 17, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-639-2023
© Author(s) 2023. 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-17-639-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
08 Feb 2023
Research article |
| 08 Feb 2023
| 08 Feb 2023
Wind conditions for snow cornice formation in a wind tunnel
Hongxiang Yu
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
College of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
College of Atmospheric Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
College of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
Benjamin Walter
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, 7260, Switzerland
College of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Federal de Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, 7260, Switzerland
Jie Zhang
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Ning Huang
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
College of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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Revised manuscript not accepted
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Short summary
Snow cornices lead to the potential risk of causing snow avalanche hazards, which are still unknown so far. We carried out a wind tunnel experiment in a cold lab to investigate the environmental conditions for snow cornice accretion recorded by a camera. The length growth rate of the cornices reaches a maximum for wind speeds approximately 40 % higher than the threshold wind speed. Experimental results improve our understanding of the cornice formation process.
Snow cornices lead to the potential risk of causing snow avalanche hazards, which are still...
