Assignment on

Avalanches
AVALANCHES

SUBMITTED TO –
AR.DAMAN DEEP KAUR SUBMITTED BY –
KOMAL
MANDEEP
RUPINDER
 What are avalanches?

An avalanche occurs when a mass of snow falls down a

mountainside. That is because new snow (which is not wet)
accumulates on a more heavy snow layer. Since the new snow
layer is not compact, it could slide down toward the base of the
mountain.
Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix
air and water with the descending snow.
Powerful avalanches have the capability to entrain ice, rocks,
trees, and other material on the slope.
In contrast to other natural events which can cause disasters,
avalanches are not rare or random events and are endemic to any
mountain range that accumulates a standing snow pack.
In mountainous terrain avalanches are among the most serious
objective hazards to life and property, with their destructive
capability resulting from their potential to carry an enormous mass
of snow rapidly over large distances.
Avalanches only occur when the stress on the snow exceeds
the shear, ductile, and tensile strength either within the
snow pack or at the contact of the base of the snow pack
with the ground or rock surface.

All avalanches share common elements:

 a trigger which causes the avalanche,
 a start zone from which the avalanche originates,
 a slide path along which the avalanche flows,
 a run out where the avalanche comes to rest,
a debris deposit which is the accumulated mass of the
avalanched snow once it has come to rest.
Avalanches were first imagined as giant
snowballs which increased in size from
accumulationof underlying snow.
 Avalanche zones
 Red zone- most dangerous zone where snow avalanches are
frequent and have impact pressure more than 3 tonnes per sq.mtr.
Blue zone-force less than 3 tonnes per sq.mtr where living
activities are permitted but areas to be vacated on warning.
Yellow zone-least prone areas.

Avalanche prone areas in India

Jammu and kashmir-kargil, ladakh

Himachal pradesh-kullu, chamba
West uttar pradesh-parts of tehri gharwal and chamoli district.
 CAUSES

Topography-inclination of slope, shape of slope location,

orientation of slope

Vegitation-vegitation height and cover, thickness

Weather factors-depth of snow cover, depth of snow fall ,wind

velocity
 Initial failure - two types
•Loose snow avalanche
•Slab avalanche

Failure at
depth

More
Surface or near-surface dangerous
Loose snow avalanche
Loose snow avalanches occur in freshly fallen snow that has a
lower density and are most common on steeper terrain. In fresh,
loose snow the release is usually at a point and the avalanche then
gradually widens down the slope as more snow is entrained,
usually forming a teardrop appearance.
Loose snow failure
 Slab avalanche
When there is a failure in a weak
layer, a fracture very rapidly
propagates so that a large area, that Two weak layers
can be hundreds of meters in extent within a slab
and several meters thick, starts
moving almost instantaneously.
Slab failure
Powder snow avalanche

 A powder snow avalanche is a powder cloud that forms when

an avalanche accelerates over an abrupt change in slope, such as
a cliff band, causing the snow to mix with air.

These are the largest and most powerful of avalanches.

 Powder snow avalanches can exceed speeds of 300 km/h, and

masses of 10,000,000 tonnes.

Their flows can travel long distances along flat valley bottoms
and even up hill for short distances.
Powder avalanche in
Mt.Everest
Mixed flow and powder avalanche
Powder avalanche: note
frontal zone of higher
density, low-density cloud
behind front
Fully-developed
powder avalanche
due to cascading
down near-vertical
cliffs.
Salang Avalanches
February,2010
2010 Salang Avalanches
About 36 avalanches had
occurred at the Salang
tunnel in Afghanistan
caused approximately 172
people and trapped over
2000 others during
February 8th and 9th.

The 2010 Salang avalanches consisted of a series of at least

36 avalanches that struck the southern approach to the Salang tunnel,
north of Kabul, Afghanistan on February 8 and 9, 2010, burying 3.5 km
(2.1 miles) of road, killing at least 172 people and trapping over 2,000
travelers. They were caused by a freak storm in the Hindu Kush
mountains located in Afghanistan.
An aerial view shows Salang
village covered with snow
after avalanches hit Parwan
province in February 2010.
 Protection measures
for avalanches
 Engineering works for avalanche
protection are permanent structures to
deflect and prevent avalanche.
Avalanche avoidance
 Terraces
 Built as cut and fill

 Effective if snow depth

does not exceed 1.5 mtr

Effective When
the width W of
terrace is
atleast1.5 times
depth H of snw.
 Supporting structures

Supporting structures in switzerland

Details of supporting structures
Deflectors

These are the dykes and

walls that intercept
avalanche and redirect
the flow.

They may be in form of

earth banks or reinforced
earth banks.

Usually kept 6-12mtr

high.
 Arresters

 Arresters are used

to slow or stop
avalanches.

 Need adequate
height; if too low,
flow can
accelerate above
barrier, increasing
damage.
 Splitters
 These are wedge
shaped dams or walls,
earth mounds or pillars.

 These are placed

directly in front of a
single object to direct
avalanche flow around
the structure.

 They redirect and divert

the avalanche flow
around the structure.
Use of splitters
on ski slopes.
Flow retards of steel
in Japan
 Mounds

 These are used to

retard flowing snow
at the end of the run
out zone
Detail of mounds
 Snow sheds

 These sheds allow the

avalanche to pass
over the structure
THANK YOU