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| Titel |
High Resolution Radar Measurements of Snow Avalanches |
| VerfasserIn |
Jim McElwaine, Betty Sovilla, Nathalie Vriend, Paul Brennan, Matt Ash, Chris Keylock |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2013
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| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 15 (2013) |
| Datensatznummer |
250079173
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Geophysical mass flows, such as snow avalanches, are a major hazard in
mountainous areas and have a significant impact on the infrastructure,
economy and tourism of such regions. Obtaining a thorough
understanding of the dynamics of snow avalanches is crucial for risk
assessment and the design of defensive structures. However, because
the underlying physics is poorly understood there are significant
uncertainties concerning current models, which are poorly validated
due to a lack of high resolution data. Direct observations of the
denser core of a large avalanche are particularly difficult, since it
is frequently obscured by the dilute powder cloud. We have developed
and installed a phased array FMCW radar system that penetrates the
powder cloud and directly images the dense core with a resolution of
around 1 m at 50 Hz over the entire slope. We present data from recent
avalanches at Vallee de la Sionne that show a wealth of internal
structure and allow the tracking of individual fronts, roll waves and
surges down the slope for the first time. We also show good agreement
between the radar results and existing measurement systems that record
data at particular points on the avalanche track. |
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