Parameterization of the snow fracture energy to model the onset of crack propagation in snowpack models

Monteiro, Diego; Viallon-Galinier, Léo; Fourteau, Kévin; Dick, Oscar; Hagenmuller, Pascal

doi:10.5194/tc-20-4515-2026

Articles | Volume 20, issue 8

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4515-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-4515-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 20, issue 8

Research article

|

19 Aug 2026

Research article |

| 19 Aug 2026

Parameterization of the snow fracture energy to model the onset of crack propagation in snowpack models

Diego Monteiro, Léo Viallon-Galinier, Kévin Fourteau, Oscar Dick, and Pascal Hagenmuller

Model code and software

meteodmonteir/Article_Wf_param_2026: Replication code and assets, v2.0, accepted version Diego Monteiro et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21904421

Weak Layer Anticrack Nucleation Model (WEAC) Philipp Laurens Rosendahl and Philipp Weissgraeber https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11121172

Version 3.0 of the Crocus snowpack model: source code of implementation within SURFEX and externalized version Matthieu Lafaysse et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16943240

Short summary

This research aims to improve dry-snow slab avalanche forecasts, particularly the propagation of cracks in weak layers, as current models rely on uncertain and difficult-to-measure parameters. We combined snowpack simulations with field measurements to link fracture energy to measurable and modelable snow properties. This new approach better reproduces observed crack lengths and allows weak layers to be tracked throughout the season, thereby improving operational avalanche risk assessment.