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Snow and Avalanches: Processes and Risk Management
Schnee, Lawinen, Schutzkonzepte
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:29:24
Abstract
The lecture covers snow and avalanche processes in a catchment (starting zone, path and run-out zone) with a particular focus on risk management in the context of natural hazards.
Objective
- basics of snow and avalanche mechanics - methods to model snow and avalanche processes - interaction of snow and avalanches with structures and forest - methods of stability evaluation and hazard assessment - avalanche protection measures in the context of integral risk management - basics on the design and effectiveness of protection measures
Content
Introduction, snow precipitation, extreme events, snow loads; snow and snow cover properties; snow-atmosphere interaction; avalanche formation; stability evaluation, avalanche forecasting; avalanche dynamics; avalanche impact on structures; hazard mapping; protection measures (permanent and temporal); integral risk management.
Resources
Lecture Notes
W. Ammann: Snow and Avalanches (Lecture notes)
Literature
BUWAL/SLF, 1984. Richtlinien zur Berücksichtigung der Lawinengefahr bei raumwirksamen Tätigkeiten. EDMZ, Bern. Colbeck, S.C., Akitaya, E., Armstrong, R.L., Gubler, H., Lafeuille, J., Lied, K., McClung, D. and Morris, E.M., 1990. The international classification of seasonal snow on the ground. International Commission on Snow and Ice (ICSI), International Association of Scientific Hydrology (IAHS), Wallingford, Oxon, U.K., 23 pp. Egli, T., 2005. Wegleitung Objektschutz gegen gravitative Naturgefahren, Vereinigung Kantonaler Feuerversicherungen (Hrsg.), Bern. Furukawa, Y. and Wettlaufer, J.S., 2007. Snow and ice crystals. Physics Today, 60(12): 70-71. Margreth, S., 2007. Technische Richtlinie für den Lawinenverbau im Anbruchgebiet. Bundesamt für Umwelt, Bern, WSL Eidg. Institut für Schnee- und Lawinenforschung Davos. 134 S. McClung. D.M. and Schaerer, P. 2006. The Avalanche Handbook, 3rd ed., The Mountaineers, Seattle. Mears, A.I., 1992. Snow-avalanche hazard analysis for land-use planning and engineering. 49, Colorado Geological Survey. Schweizer, J., Jamieson, J.B. and Schneebeli, M., 2003. Snow avalanche formation. Reviews of Geophysics, 41(4): 1016, doi:10.1029/2002RG000123. Shapiro, L.H., Johnson, J.B., Sturm, M. and Blaisdell, G.L., 1997. Snow mechanics - Review of the state of knowledge and applications. Report 97-3, US Army CRREL, Hanover, NH, U.S.A.
General Information
- Language
- German
- Levels
- MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture with exercise | Schnee, Lawinen, Schutzkonzepte |
|
2 h weekly |