Realizing that snow in avalanches can behave like a liquid or a solid, scientists at the Ecole Polytechnique de Lausanne were able to create a computer model of the collapse of a layer of compacted snow, the so-called "snowboard", with unprecedented accuracy.
Avalanche is a very complex event that depends on many factors. The researchers managed to create a digital model that takes into account most of them.
The scientists' work will be used to predict risks while in the mountains. The digital avalanche model was created in collaboration with specialists from Disney who simulated the snow for the movie Frozen.
The collapse of the "snowboard" is considered one of the most dangerous types of avalanches, as it is very difficult to predict. A landslide, as a rule, is provoked by skiers moving along the slope. Such an avalanche begins with a clearly visible crack at the top of the mountain. The collapse occurs due to the fact that there is a fragile snow layer under the dense snow layer.
The “snow board” appears due to the additional load on the snow layer. A crack first appears in the lower layer of snow and grows rapidly. At this point, the snow behaves in accordance with the principles of solid mechanics. As the fracture propagates, a weak porous layer collapses under the mass of the surface formation. Further, the snow shows the characteristics of a liquid.