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Article
The effect of ambient air temperature on meltwater production and flow dynamics in snow avalanches
Snow avalanche run-out is controlled by flow regime, which is heavily dependent on snow temperature and water content. Existing avalanche models calculate temperature change and snow melting arising from frict...
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Chapter
Avalanches and Other Snow Movements
Together with rockfall, landslides, and debris flows, are among the most important gravitational natural hazards in mountain regions. On the one hand, forests perform important protective functions against t...
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Article
Open AccessThe relevance of rock shape over mass—implications for rockfall hazard assessments
The mitigation of rapid mass movements involves a subtle interplay between field surveys, numerical modelling, and experience. Hazard engineers rely on a combination of best practices and, if available, histor...
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Article
Open AccessStability of rigid body motion through an extended intermediate axis theorem: application to rockfall simulation
The stability properties of a freely rotating rigid body are governed by the intermediate axis theorem, i.e., rotation around the major and minor principal axes is stable whereas rotation around the intermedia...
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Article
Open AccessA Reverse Dynamical Investigation of the Catastrophic Wood-Snow Avalanche of 18 January 2017 at Rigopiano, Gran Sasso National Park, Italy
On 18 January 2017 a catastrophic avalanche destroyed the Rigopiano Gran Sasso Resort & Wellness (Rigopiano Hotel) in the Gran Sasso National Park in Italy, with 40 people trapped and a death toll of 29. This ...
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Article
Mitigation effects of trees on rockfall hazards: does rock shape matter?
Does rock shape matter to the mitigation effects of trees on rockfall hazards? This question must be resolved in order to better quantify the protective role of mountain forests against rockfall. To probe this...
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Article
Open AccessSeismic signature of the deadly snow avalanche of January 18, 2017, at Rigopiano (Italy)
Most snow avalanches occur unobserved, which becomes particularly dramatic when human lives are involved. Seismological observations can be helpful to unravel time and dynamics of unseen events, like the deadl...
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Article
Modelling rockfall impact with scarring in compactable soils
An accurate modelling of rockfall runout continues to be a demanding challenge within the geotechnical and hazards engineering community. Most existing rockfall dynamic programs apply effective restitution coe...
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Article
Massive collapse of two glaciers in western Tibet in 2016 after surge-like instability
Surges and glacier avalanches are expressions of glacier instability, and among the most dramatic phenomena in the mountain cryosphere. Until now, the catastrophic collapse of a glacier, combining the large vo...
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Article
Reply to “Discussion of “The relation between dilatancy, effective stress and dispersive pressure in granular avalanches” by P. Bartelt and O. Buser (DOI: 10.1007/s11440-016-0463-7)” by Richard Iverson and David L. George (DOI: 10.1007/s11440-016-0502-4)
Iverson and George largely agree with our mathematical description of the dispersive pressure and dilatancy for a dry granular avalanche; however, they disagree with our views of effective stress and pore-flui...
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Article
The relation between dilatancy, effective stress and dispersive pressure in granular avalanches
Here we investigate three long-standing principles of granular mechanics and avalanche science: dilatancy, effective stress and dispersive pressure. We first show how the three principles are mechanically inte...
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Chapter and Conference Paper
Rockfall-Simulation with Irregular Rock Blocks
Managing transport routes that pass through steep engineered rock cuts requires detailed information of the dynamics and trajectory of potential rockfalls. It is common practice to use rockfall trajectory mode...
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Article
Density variations in dry granular avalanches
Dry granular avalanches exhibit bulk density variations. Understanding the physical mechanisms behind these density variations is especially important in the study of geophysical flows such as snow and rock av...
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Article
Measurements of hillslope debris flow impact pressure on obstacles
We present measurements of hillslope debris flow impact pressures on small obstacles. Two impact sensors have been installed in a real-scale experimental site where 50 m3 of water-saturated soil material are rele...
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Article
Position dependent velocity profiles in granular avalanches
We present velocity profile measurements in granular avalanches flowing down a flat chute with wide rectangular cross section. The flow is recorded through a transparent side-wall by a high-speed camera, which...
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Article
Modelling Snow Slab Release Using a Temperature-Dependent Viscoelastic Finite Element Model with Weak Layers
A two-dimensional thermo-mechanicalplane-strain finite element model forsnow is presented. Snow is modeled asa two component porous medium consisting ofa solid ice matrix and interstitial pore air.The ice and ...
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Chapter and Conference Paper
A computational procedure for instationary temperature-dependent snow creep
A computational procedure to model instationary creep movements in alpine snowpacks is presented. The model allows the study of large volumetric and shear strains (new snowfall), temperature dependent material...
