Articles | Volume 9, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-837-2015
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-9-837-2015
Research article
 | 
04 May 2015
Research article |  | 04 May 2015

A process-based approach to estimate point snow instability

B. Reuter, J. Schweizer, and A. van Herwijnen

Viewed

Total article views: 3,125 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total BibTeX EndNote
1,619 1,320 186 3,125 190 179
  • HTML: 1,619
  • PDF: 1,320
  • XML: 186
  • Total: 3,125
  • BibTeX: 190
  • EndNote: 179
Views and downloads (calculated since 25 Nov 2014)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 25 Nov 2014)

Cited

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 21 Nov 2024
Download
Short summary
We present a novel approach to estimate point snow instability based on snow mechanical properties from snow micro-penetrometer measurements. This is the first approach that takes into account the essential processes involved in dry-snow slab avalanche release: failure initiation and crack propagation. Comparison with field observations confirms that the two-step calculation of a stability criterion and a critical crack length is suited to describe point snow instability.