Functioning of the avalanche starting zones which undergo snow-transport by wind: Field observations and computer modeling

Abstract

For two years, three French and Swiss laboratories have been making field observations and measurements on two high altitude slopes in a Northern French Alps site. The aim of this work is to study the functioning of the avalanche sites which, in their starting zones, undergo snow-transport by wind. The experimental site is located in the French Alps, at 2,800 m, above Grenoble. It is an open area, equipped with an automatic meteorological station and an altitude laboratory. The two slopes that are studied face East. One of them is artificially released but the other has a natural avalanche activity. The investigations concern:

• -snow deposition in avalanche starting zones;

• -temporal evolution of the snowpack characteristics;

• -avalanche release.

For the field observations and measurements, continuous recording of the meteorological conditions on the site, photogrammetrical techniques and two snow depth profiles, as well as stratigraphical snow profiles and video are used. The computer modeling is based on existing computer models developed by the CEMAGREF-Nivologie (ELSA) and the CEN/Météo-France (SAFRAN-CROCUS-MEPRA), which analyse the snowpack and its stability. The field observations and measurements aim at improving snow-transport by wind modeling modules, in order to improve their whole analysis.