Avalanche Accidents Causing Fatalities: Are They Any Different in the Summer?

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Pasquier ◽  
Olivier Hugli ◽  
Alexandre Kottmann ◽  
Frank Techel
Keyword(s):  
Avalanche Accidents

scholarly journals Avalanche risk in backcountry terrain based on usage frequency and accident data

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 5113-5138 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Techel ◽  
B. Zweifel ◽  
K. Winkler
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Avalanche Forecasting ◽  
Usage Frequency ◽  
Avalanche Accidents ◽  
User Data ◽  
Accident Data ◽  
Day Of The Week ◽  
Accident Statistics ◽  
Main Population

Abstract. In Switzerland, the vast majority of avalanche accidents occurs during recreational activities. Risk analysis studies mostly rely on accident statistics without considering exposure (or the elements at risk), i.e. how many and where people are recreating. We compared the accident data (backcountry touring) with reports from two social media mountaineering networks – bergportal.ch and camptocamp.org. On these websites, users reported more than 15 000 backcountry tours during the five winters 2009/2010 to 2013/2014. We noted similar patterns in avalanche accident data and user data like demographics of recreationists, distribution of the day of the week (weekday vs. weekend) or weather conditions (fine vs. poor weather). However, we also found differences such as the avalanche danger conditions on days with activities and accidents, but also the geographic distribution. While backcountry activities are concentrated in proximity to the main population centres in the West and North of the Swiss Alps, a large proportion of the severe avalanche accidents occurred in the inner-alpine, more continental regions with frequently unfavorably snowpack structure. This suggests that even greater emphasis should be put on the type of avalanche problem in avalanche education and avalanche forecasting to increase the safety of backcountry recreationists.

scholarly journals Avalanche Hazard in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

1980 ◽  
Vol 26 (94) ◽  
pp. 31-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. W. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Maximum Length ◽  
Avalanche Forecasting ◽  
Avalanche Hazard ◽  
Avalanche Accidents ◽  
Heavy Snow ◽  
Cross Country

AbstractAvalanche accidents are increasing in Scotland and fatalities now average two each year. The victims are either mountaineers or cross-country skiers as the problem is confined to the steeper and remoter slopes. Studies in the Cairngorm Mountains have shown that Scottish snow differs from alpine snow in three respects: depth hoar does not occur in Scotland, higher values are found for density and rammsonde penetration, and ice layers are more abundant. Slab avalanches are found on slopes of about 35° and sluffs on slopes of 30° and steeper. Although most avalanches are small, crown fracture lines reach a maximum length of 500 m, and slabs may be up to eight metres thick. Preliminary correlations between avalanche release and weather conditions have shown the importance of cold periods following heavy snow falls and the significance of thaws. Much more needs to be done before an avalanche-forecasting service could be provided, not the least of which is persuading likely beneficiaries that such a service would be worthwhile.

scholarly journals Spatial and temporal analysis of fatal off-piste and backcountry avalanche accidents in Austria with a comparison of results in Switzerland, France, Italy and the United States

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Pfeifer ◽  
Peter Höller ◽  
Achim Zeileis
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Generalized Additive Models ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
Avalanche Accidents

Abstract. In this article we analyzed spatial and temporal patterns of fatal Austrian avalanche accidents caused by backcountry and off-piste skiers and snowboarders within the winter periods 1967/68–2010/11. The data were based on reports of the Austrian Board for Alpine Safety and reports of the information services of the federal states. Using the date and the location of the recorded avalanche accidents we were able to carry out spatial and temporal analyses applying generalized additive models and Markov random field models. As the result of the trend analysis we noticed an increasing trend of avalanche fatalities within the winter periods from 1967/68 to 2010/11, which is in contradiction to the widespread opinion that the number of fatalities is constant over time. Additionally, we compared Austrian results with results of Switzerland, France, Italy and the United States based on data from the International Commission of Alpine Rescue (ICAR). As the result of the spatial analysis we noticed two hotspots of avalanche fatalities ("Arlberg-Silvretta" and "Sölden"). Because of the increasing trend and the rather "narrow" regional distribution of the fatalities consequences on prevention of avalanche accidents were highly recommended.

Snowpack characteristics associated with avalanche accidents

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 862-866 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Jamieson ◽  
C. D. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Field Tests ◽  
Avalanche Forecasting ◽  
Weak Layer ◽  
The People ◽  
Avalanche Accidents ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Forecasting Techniques

Reports of 93 fatal avalanche accidents in Canada between 1972 and 1991 indicate that most of them involved dry snow slabs and were triggered by people. Slab thicknesses averaged 0.86 m and over half the slabs included snow deposited prior to the most recent storm. Two persistent microstructures of snow, namely surface hoar and faceted grains, were commonly reported in the weak layers believed to have released the overlying slabs. The people that had difficulty recognizing or evaluating instabilities involving surface hoar and faceted grains include amateur recreationists as well as professional forecasters and guides. This suggests that present field tests and forecasting techniques may be unsatis-factory for assessing the stability of slabs which overlie layers of surface hoar or faceted grains. Key words : avalanche accident, avalanche forecasting, critical weak layer, slab avalanche, snowpack microstructure, avalanche trigger.

Emergency medical helicopter operations for avalanche accidents

Resuscitation ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 492-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mair ◽  
Christian Frimmel ◽  
Gernot Vergeiner ◽  
Matthias Hohlrieder ◽  
Luca Moroder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Avalanche Accidents

scholarly journals Avalanche Education for Skiers

1980 ◽  
Vol 26 (94) ◽  
pp. 105-107
Author(s):  
François Valla
Keyword(s):  
Public Information ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Avalanche Accidents ◽  
Training Courses

Abstract The numbers of people rambling in the mountains is increasing every day. Consequently, the number of avalanche accidents is very significant. In France, the main mountain users organizations, headed by ANENA, work for a better education of those in the mountains. Various aspects of training courses and public information services are discussed.

scholarly journals Effects of Precipitation, Temperature and Wind in Alpine Areas on Backcountry Avalanche Accidents Reported in the Western Part of Austria within 1987-2009

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Pfeifer ◽  
Peter Höller
Keyword(s):  
Snow Water Equivalent ◽  
Reanalysis Data ◽  
Wind Component ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Hurdle Models ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Daily Data ◽  
Avalanche Accidents ◽  
Variable Wind

Abstract In this article, we are going to investigate the effects of snow, rain, temperature and wind on the number of backcountry and off-piste avalanche accidents. The data base of our survey is restricted on the western part of Austria (federal states Tyrol and Vorarlberg) within the winter periods 1987/88--2008/09. We are able to stratify the daily data for municipalities in Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Employing spatial kriging and hurdle models, we found a positive significant effect of the snow water equivalent measurement on avalanche accident counts (if we consider the running average over the past 3 days). The variables rain and temperature 1800 meter above sea level showed negative effects on the number of accident counts. In the case of the variable wind - ERA5 global reanalysis data turned out not to be reliable -- we had a focus on the 3 avalanche accident hot spots of Austria St. Anton am Arlberg, Lech and Sölden observing wind data of the weather stations Galzig, Warth and Obergurgl. At least in the case of St. Anton and Lech, we found significant positive effects (daily velocity totals and west wind component) on the number of avalanche counts. Calculating the daily mean wind load showed a positive effect only in the case of St. Anton am Arlberg.Finally, we tried to find conclusions in connection with `avalanche problems' such as used by several avalanche information services only finding (beside `new snow') some evidence for a `spring scenario'.

Terrain Classification of Norwegian Slab Avalanche Accidents

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Hallandvik ◽  
Eivind Aadland ◽  
Odd Lennart Vikene
Keyword(s):  
Terrain Classification ◽  
Avalanche Accidents
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