What is an avalanche: definition. What is an avalanche and why is it dangerous?

Snow avalanches are associated with mountainous terrain and pose serious risks to people, road infrastructure, bridges and buildings.

Climbers and lovers of mountain recreation often encounter this natural phenomenon, and, despite all precautions, an avalanche is an element from which there is practically no escape and no hope of survival. Where does it come from and what danger does it pose?

What is an avalanche?

According to explanatory dictionaries, the term "avalanche" comes from Latin word labina, which means "landslide" . The phenomenon is a huge mass of snow that falls or slides down mountain slopes and rushes into nearby valleys and depressions.

To one degree or another, avalanches are common in all high-mountain regions of the world. In warmer latitudes they usually occur in winter time, and in those places where the mountains are covered with caps of snow all year round, they can melt in any season.

Snow in avalanches reaches a volume of millions of cubic meters and during the descent sweeps away everything in its path.

Why do avalanches occur?

Precipitation that falls in the mountains is retained on the slopes due to friction. The magnitude of this force is influenced by many factors, such as the steepness of the mountain peak and the moisture content of the snow mass. As snow accumulates, its weight begins to exceed the force of friction, causing large snow caps to slide down the mountain and collapse along its flanks.

Most often, avalanches occur on peaks with a slope angle of about 25–45 degrees. For more steep mountains Snow melting occurs only under certain conditions, for example, when it falls on ice cover. On flatter flanks, avalanches usually do not occur due to the impossibility of accumulating large snow masses.

The main reason for avalanches lies in the current climatic conditions region. Most often they occur during thaws or rains.

Sometimes earthquakes and rockfalls can trigger snow melting, and in some cases, a loud sound or small pressure, such as the weight of a human body, is enough to cause a disaster.

What types of avalanches are there?

There is a fairly extensive classification of avalanches, differing in volume, path, snow consistency and other characteristics. In particular, depending on the nature of the movement, there are wasp avalanches that descend over the entire surface of the mountain, flume avalanches that slide along hollows, and jumping avalanches that fly part of the way after encountering any obstacles.

According to consistency, natural phenomena are divided into dry ones, which arise when low temperatures air due to the low friction force, and wet ones, which are formed during thaws as a result of the formation of a layer of water under the snow.

How is avalanche risk calculated?

In order to identify the likelihood of avalanches, a risk classification system was created in Europe in 1993, in which each level is indicated by a flag of a certain format. Such flags are hung at all ski resorts and allow vacationers to assess the possibility of tragedy.

The system includes five risk levels depending on the stability of the snow. According to statistics, in the mountainous regions of Switzerland, most deaths are recorded already at levels 2 and 3, while in the French mountains the disaster leads to deaths at levels 3 and 4.

How dangerous is an avalanche?

Avalanches pose a danger to people due to their large mass. If a person finds himself under a thick layer of snow, he dies from suffocation or shock resulting from broken bones. Snow has low sound conductivity, so rescuers are not able to hear the victim’s scream and find him under the snow mass.

Avalanches can pose a threat not only to people caught in the mountains, but also to nearby settlements. Sometimes snow melting leads to catastrophic consequences and completely destroys the infrastructure of villages. So, in 1999, an avalanche destroyed the Austrian town of Galtür and caused the death of 30 of its residents.

AVALANCHE [German] Lawine] - a mass of snow falling or sliding down steep mountain slopes similarly collapse, possessing great destructive power. Region L.'s nutrition is located in funnel- or circus-shaped depressions on the slopes. Path L. designation potholes, fallen, broken or bent trees. In the region accumulation ex. The lava is called an avalanche cone, in the place of which, after it melts, fragments of the avalanche remain. different sizes. Leningrads are distinguished: winter (or dry, dusty), spring (wet, or basic), glacial, and hail. The fall of an avalanche is accompanied by the formation of an air pre-avalanche, which produces the greatest destruction.

Geological Dictionary: in 2 volumes. - M.: Nedra. Edited by K. N. Paffengoltz et al.. 1978 .

Avalanche

(German Lawine, from c.-century Lat. labina - * a. Avalanche; n. Lawine; f. Avalanche; And. alud, avalancha) - sliding or snow masses onto the forge. slopes They appear in all forges. p-nah, where stable snow cover is established. Causes of snowfall: overload of snow on slopes during a snowstorm or weak interaction between new snow and the underlying surface during the first two days after the end of the snowfall (dry snowfall); the occurrence of water lubrication between the bottom. the surface of the snow and the underlying surface of the slope during thaws and rains (wet lakes); formation in the lower parts of the snow layer of the loosening horizon, consisting of crystals of deep frost, not connected with each other (L. sublimation diaphthoresis). The reason for loosening is snow in the lower, warmer horizons and its transformation into slips. According to morphology, lakes are divided into “osovs” - sliding along the entire surface of the slope outside the channels; “trough” - moving along hollows, logs and erosion furrows; “jumping” - moving spasmodically along the ledges of the slopes. Cp. the speed of movement of the blade is 20-30 m/s, the impact force of the blade can exceed 100 t/m2. L. and pre-avalanche have enormous destructive power. by force. The frequency of falling and the volume of L. depend on the climate. conditions and morphology of trees. "Trough" trees from steep hollows often fall, but reach small volumes; L. fall rarely from destroyed cars, but are characterized by large volumes. Design and construction of the forge. enterprises (quarries and underground mine workings), the laying of oil and gas pipelines, roads, electrical communications, etc. is carried out taking into account avalanche danger. In order to protect buildings and structures in avalanche-prone areas, an avalanche service is being created, the task of which is to monitor the accumulation of snow (with the help of measuring benchmarks, which are installed on the slopes) and changes in its structure during thaws or wet precipitation. When snow accumulates on a slope in an amount dangerous for destruction and damage to engineering. structures, shelling from mortars or guns is called art. Land. To prevent the formation of land, the profile of the slope is changed (especially at the point where snow begins to move) through the construction of art. barriers or flattening the slope with massive explosions. To divert the river from protected objects, guide dams are constructed, which change its direction at low drainage speeds. To ensure safe operation of transport, canopies or galleries are built over the road. Yu. I. Anistratov.

Mountain encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. Edited by E. A. Kozlovsky. 1984-1991 .

Synonyms:

See what “Avalanche” is in other dictionaries:

- (German Lavine, from Latin labi to fall down, roll down). A landslide, i.e. a block of snow rolling down from the mountains and, as it falls, gradually increasing in size. Dictionary foreign words, included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. AVALANCHE... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

AVALANCHE, avalanches, women. (Italian: lavina). 1. A block of snow falling from the mountains. An avalanche is rolling down the mountain. 2. transfer Something swift, moving with strong pressure. The shelves moved like a continuous avalanche. 3. transfer Something accumulated in a huge... ... Dictionary Ushakova

Weight, white death, huge number, a huge number, a large number, a great multitude, a myriad, a myriad, a box, an army, a stream, an abundance, a chorus, a snow dragon, a regiment, a white dragon, a multitude, a landslide, a whole box, a swarm, a horde, ... ... Dictionary of synonyms

Avalanche- from K2 (photo by Ivan Zhdanov) Avalanche (from German lawine, from Latin labina landslide) snow collapse, a mass of snow falling or sliding down steep mountain slopes. The formation of avalanches is possible in all mountainous areas where stable snow... Encyclopedia of tourists

avalanche- A mass of snow moving at high speed down a mountain slope. Rice. 26 Syn.: snow avalanche … Dictionary of Geography

- (from the Middle Ages, Latin labina landslide) (snow avalanche) a mass of snow falling or sliding from steep mountain slopes, similar to an avalanche. The average speed is 20-30 m/s. The fall of an avalanche is accompanied by the formation of a pre-avalanche air wave,... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

A mass of snow falling or sliding down steep slopes... Geological terms

AVALANCHE, s, female. 1. Masses of snow, snow blocks falling from the mountains. Comes off l. 2. transfer Something that moves in a rapid mass. L. troops. | adj. avalanche, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Women snowy or mountain collapse Caucasian scoundrel arkhan. a block of snow rolling down from the mountains. | hard leaven grounds? Avalanche, related to an avalanche. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary. V.I. Dahl. 1863 1866 … Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Called a tiger in the skin of a lamb by an innocent, at first glance, white snow Matthias Zdarsky is an Austrian researcher who studied the question of what an avalanche is. Softly falling snow fascinates even those who don’t like winter - too much beautiful picture, similar to fairy tale. And the crystal stars smoothly falling to the ground create a deceptive impression of fragility and defenseless tenderness. However, excessively active snowfalls are fraught with danger, and a serious one. After all, not only snowdrifts, but also avalanches can grow from small snowflakes. So what is an avalanche? The definition of this concept is given below. And now a little history.

A brief excursion into history

In all likelihood, an avalanche is a phenomenon that exists as long as the steep slopes of mountains, and Polybius mentions the first large-scale snowfalls, causing the death of hundreds of people, in the context of the history of the campaign of the Carthaginian army through the Alps. And in general, this mountain range, beloved by tourists and climbers, has a long history of disasters behind it. It is not for nothing that in the 20th century, in some areas, masses were celebrated in memory of those killed under snow rubble, because in this case an avalanche means pain and grief for the relatives and friends of those who suffered from it. It is also noteworthy that in one of last winters During the First World War, more soldiers died from this on the Austro-Italian front than directly during the hostilities. And December 16, 1916 went down in history as “Black Thursday,” when six thousand people were missing in one day. Hemingway, who was in the Alps during the same time period and described his definition of what an avalanche means, noted that winter landslides are terrible, sudden and bring with them instant death.

Residents of Norway, Iceland, Bulgaria, the United States also suffered from the “white death”. Russian Federation, Canada, as well as Asian countries: Turkey, Nepal, Iran, Afghanistan, and in the latter, the death toll is counted according to by and large not being carried out. Tens of thousands of lives were also attributed to snow avalanches that fell from Mount Huascaran in Peru.

What is an avalanche? Etymology of the word

The ancient Romans called this phenomenon a “pile of snow.” Each nation had its own definition. What does avalanche mean? It's beautiful, exciting and dangerous natural phenomenon. The very meaning of the word “avalanche” is also interesting, the origins of which are the Latin root lab, meaning “instability”, although it came into the Russian language through German, since in ancient German there was a definition of Lavine. Xuan Zang poetically called them “white dragons,” and in Pushkin’s time avalanches were called landslides. In the Alps and the Caucasus, the names of individual mountains, gorges and valleys are already “speaking”. For example, Lansky Forest or Zeygalan Khokh (“the mountain from which avalanches always come down”). Sometimes the ability to read onomastics, although it won’t tell you everything about snow debris, can protect you from unforeseen circumstances.

What is an avalanche

An avalanche is a type of landslide, a significant mass of snow that moves or even falls from the slopes of mountains under the influence of gravity. It simultaneously creates an air wave, which accounts for a significant part of the destruction and damage that is almost inevitable in this natural disaster.

Having started its movement, the avalanche can no longer stop, falling lower and lower and capturing accompanying stones on its way, ice blocks, branches and uprooted trees, turning from boiling white snow into a dirty mass vaguely reminiscent of a mudflow. The flow can continue its “fascinating journey” until it stops in flat areas or at the bottom of the valley.

Factors influencing the descent of snow masses from the mountains

The reasons that cause avalanches largely depend on the old snow - its height and density, the condition of the surface beneath it, as well as on the increase in new masses of precipitation. The intensity of snowfall, subsidence and compaction of the cover, and air temperature also influence. In addition, a fairly long open slope (100-500 m) is optimal for the start of an avalanche path.

It is not for nothing that the main “architect” of this natural phenomenon is called the wind, since an increase of 10-15 cm is enough for the snow to melt. Temperature is also one of the the most important factors that could trigger a disaster. Moreover, if at zero degrees the instability of the snow, although it arises quickly, passes no less actively (it either melts or an avalanche occurs). And when the low temperature is stable, the avalanche period increases.

Seismic vibrations can also activate snow melting, which is not uncommon in mountainous areas. In some cases, jet flights over dangerous zones are enough.

In general, the increasing frequency of snow avalanches is indirectly or directly related to stormy economic activity a person who is not always reasonable. For example, forests that are now cut down used to serve as natural protection against snow slides.

Periodicity

Depending on the frequency of occurrence, a distinction is made between intra-annual convergence (for the winter and spring periods) and average long-term convergence, which includes, respectively, the overall frequency of avalanche formation. There are also systematic avalanches (annually or every 2-3 years) and sporadic ones, which occur at most twice per century, which makes them especially unpredictable.

Movement, source of natural phenomenon

The nature of the movement of snow masses and the structure of the source determine the following classification: flume snow avalanches, special and jumping. In the case of the former, the snow moves either along a tray or along a specific channel. Special avalanches cover the entire accessible area of the terrain while moving. But with the jumping ones it’s already more interesting - they are reborn from the flume, appearing in places where the drainage is uneven. The snow mass has to “bounce”, as it were, to overcome certain areas. The latter type is capable of developing highest speed Therefore, the danger is very significant.

Snow is treacherous and may well creep up unnoticed and silently, falling with an unexpected shock wave, destroying everything in its path. The peculiarities of the movement of these natural masses underlie another division into types. It distinguishes a layer avalanche - this is when the movement occurs tangent to the surface of the snow located below, as well as a ground avalanche - it slides directly along the ground.

Scale

Depending on the damage caused, avalanches are usually divided into especially dangerous (they are also spontaneous) - the volume of material losses amazes the imagination with their scale, and simply dangerous - they complicate the activities of various organizations and jeopardize the peaceful, measured life of populated areas.

Properties of snow

It is also important to note the classification associated with the properties of the snow itself, which is the basis of the avalanche. There are dry, wet and wet. The former are characterized high speed convergence and a powerful destructive air wave, and the masses themselves are formed at fairly low temperatures after significant snowfalls. A wet avalanche is snow that has decided to leave the cozy slopes at temperatures above zero. The speed of movement here is lower than in the previous ones, however, the density of the cover is greater. In addition, the base can freeze, turning into a hard and dangerous layer. For wet avalanches, the raw material is viscous, wet snow, and the mass of each cubic meter is about 400-600 kg, and the movement speed is 10-20 m/sec.

Volumes

Well, the simplest division is small and almost harmless, medium and dangerous to humans, as well as large ones, which along the way wipe out buildings and trees from the face of the earth, and turn vehicles into a pile of scrap metal.

Is it possible to predict the occurrence of avalanches?

It is extremely difficult to predict avalanches with a high degree of probability, since snow is an element of nature that, by and large, is practically unpredictable. Of course, there are maps of dangerous areas and both passive and active methods are being taken to prevent this phenomenon. However, the causes and consequences of avalanches can be different and very noticeable. TO passive methods include special shield barriers, forest areas, observation points for dangerous areas. Active actions consist of shelling areas of possible landslides from artillery and mortar installations in order to provoke the convergence of snow masses in small batches.

Snow avalanches sliding down the mountains in any of the options represent no matter how small or large they are. It is extremely important to take into account all the factors influencing the occurrence of snow masses and their movement along an uncertain route to unknown goals, so as not to sacrifice too expensive gifts to the elements.

All about avalanches: interesting facts

The avalanche speed can reach 100-300 km/h. A powerful air wave instantly turns houses into ruins, crushes rocks, demolishes cable cars, uproots trees and destroys all life around.
Avalanches can come from any mountain. The main thing is that they are covered with snow. If there have been no avalanches in a certain area for 100 years, then there is always the possibility that they may occur at any time.
Approximately 40 thousand to 80 thousand people lost their lives during the First World War, they were buried under avalanches in the Alps. Data is approximate.
In America (California), people surrounded Mount St. Gabriel with deep ditches. Their sizes are equal football fields. Avalanches descending from the mountain linger in these ditches and do not roll into populated areas.
This destructive natural phenomenon is called differently various peoples. The Austrians use the word "schneelaanen", which means "snow flow", the Italians say "valanga", the French - "avalanche". We call this phenomenon an avalanche.

For many residents of the mountains and foothills Avalanche and methods of protection often becomes an extremely pressing problem.

The beginning of the new year is not encouraging with the weather. Long snowfalls, strong winds, temperature changes.

Although the majority of the population of our country is unfamiliar with this natural disaster, but it does happen. And by the will of nature, in every winter season, tens and hundreds of people become victims

And if you spend your holidays in ski resorts, remember the danger of avalanches. But where is the “white dragon” registered? What geographic areas are potentially dangerous?

More on this below, but in any case, you should always think about your own safety, try to anticipate possible and hidden threats the world around us.

Geography of snow avalanches

Most often they are born on the slopes certain height. Where weather conditions favor the formation of a large blanket of snow.

Statistics say that every year in such places about million snow avalanches.

This and Andes South America , And Rocky mountains of North Americans, and Himalayas of Asia, and, of course, Alps of Europe.

Stretching in a north-easterly direction from France through all of Switzerland, Germany, all the way to Austria, the European Alps collect their “tribute” every year.

There's a lot here ski resorts, people live permanently in many places in the region.
Every year, on average, about 200 people, 26 of them are in Switzerland.

Scary facts

An illustrative example is an avalanche in the Peruvian Andes.
In the middle of the last century, a six-thousand-meter mountain Huascaran torn away from ice cap kilometer-long block of ice. This “baby”, weighing more than 4 million tons, was four times larger than the famous one Empire State Building New York! (skyscraper with 103 floors).

Just as we pay little attention to the sign “Swimming is prohibited” in the summer heat, skiers will not be confused by a banner about the danger of an avalanche.

A dashing ride, risking your life, along the ridge of an overhanging canopy, “waking up the white beast” and rushing away from it is a powerful adrenaline rush.

Therefore, residents danger zone or vacation tourists should understand well that any careless actions in the mountains can lead to big troubles.

By the way, interesting fact— experiments in France showed that loud voices of people, as well as the sounds of a low-flying aircraft, interestingly, do not wake up the “white dragon.”

In any case, the sad experience of past years forces local authorities to take special precautions and build protective structures.

Avalanche cutters and other fortifications

Ever since man settled in the mountains, the danger of an avalanche has become his constant headache.

In order to somehow protect their home, forests were specially planted on the slopes above the settlements. And often these measures are quite effective. Such forests are still carefully protected by local authorities.

This natural protection is ideal against a number of avalanches. Only the forest should be impenetrable and dense. Here, on each hectare, several hundred old trunks and young shoots should grow different breeds trees.

More recently, engineers have introduced the practice metal 4
meter shields with a concrete base. This is the first line of defense, it is located above protective strip from trees.

Shields of greater height are also erected, but the installation of such structures on each slope is an extremely labor-intensive and very expensive process.

Cheaper way - avalanche dams from soil and stones.

Their task is to divert and change the direction of movement of a colossal uncontrollable mass.
Away from villages, towns and resorts located in the valley.

For protection purposes, they actively use avalanche cutters - earthen walls resembling a huge wedge with a thickness of more than 2 meters and a height of at least 5 meters. The tip of the wedge is directed upward, thus it is possible to divide the avalanche into two parts and direct the snow mass to the sides.

A fairly long side of the avalanche cutter reaches 150 meters. They are capable of covering an entire village and a ski resort.

But the protection of roads and railways requires better, and therefore more expensive, structures.

Long tunnels , reliable galleries made of steel and concrete are able to withstand the elements.

Army different countries, fighting avalanches, controls avalanche-prone areas every winter and shoots with artillery dangerous accumulations of snow mass.

The snow breaks even before it “ripes” and begins to move. Motorway "Trans-Canada", thanks to military guardianship, is always clean. And in Switzerland they knock snow off dangerous slopes by dropping explosives from a helicopter.

As we see, “white death” is one of the manifestations of the most powerful forces of nature. And when planning to walk along mountain routes, skiers and tourists must, first of all, make sure they are avalanche safe. Do not ignore warnings on billboards!

Mountains are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and mesmerizing panoramas on Earth. Many strive to conquer the majestic peaks, not fully realizing how severe such beauty is. That is why, when deciding to take such a courageous step, extreme people face difficulties in all their manifestations.

The mountains represent a rather dangerous and complex terrain, in the vastness of which there is permanent mechanism gravity, therefore destroyed rocks move and form plains. Thus, mountains eventually turn into small hills.

There can always be danger in the mountains, so you need to go special training and be able to act.

Avalanche detection

Snow avalanches are one of the most devastating and dangerous destructive phenomena of nature.

A snow avalanche is a rapid, sudden, minute-long process of moving snow and ice, occurring under the influence of gravity, the water cycle and many other atmospheric and natural factors. This phenomenon most often occurs in the winter/spring period, much less often in summer/autumn, mainly at high altitudes.

It is always worth remembering that the harbinger of an avalanche is primarily weather conditions. Hiking in the mountains in bad weather: snowfall, rain, strong wind - is quite dangerous.

Most often, a snow avalanche occurs lasting about a minute, while covering a distance of about 200–300 meters. It is extremely rare to be able to hide or run away from an avalanche and only if it has become known at least 200–300 meters away.

The avalanche mechanism consists of a sloping slope, an avalanche body and gravity.

Sloping slope

Slope level, surface roughness in a big way influence avalanche danger.

A slope of 45–60° usually does not pose a danger, since during snowfalls it is gradually unloaded. Despite this, such places, under certain weather conditions can create avalanche accumulations.

Snow will almost always fall from a slope of 60–65°; in addition, this snow can linger on convex areas, creating dangerous blows.

Slope 90° - the collapse is a real snow avalanche.

Avalanche body

Formed from accumulations of snow during an avalanche, it can crumble, roll, fly, or flow. The type of movement directly depends on the roughness of the lower surface, the type of snow accumulation, and swiftness.

The types of avalanches based on the movement of snow accumulations are divided:

to streaming;
cloudy;
complex.

Gravity

Acts on a body on the surface of the Earth, directed vertically downwards, being the main moving force that promotes the movement of snow accumulations along the slope to the foot.

Factors influencing the occurrence of an avalanche:

type of matter composition - snow, ice, snow+ice;
connectivity - loose, monolithic, layered;
density - dense, medium density, low density;
temperature - low, medium, high;
thickness - thin layer, medium, thick.

General classification of avalanches

Avalanches of powdery, dry recent snow

Such an avalanche usually occurs during heavy snowfall or immediately after it.

Powder snow is fresh, light, fluffy snow made up of tiny snow flakes and crystals. The strength of snow is determined by the rate of increase in its height, the strength of its connection with the ground or previously fallen snow. It has quite high fluidity, which makes it possible to easily flow around various obstacles. IN different cases can reach speeds of 100–300 km/h.

Avalanches caused by snowstorms

This convergence is the result of snow being transported by a blizzard. Thus, the snow is transferred to the mountain slopes and negative forms relief.

Avalanches of dense dry powder snow

They arise from snow a week or more old, which during this time is compressed and becomes much denser than freshly fallen snow. Such an avalanche moves more slowly, partially turning into a cloud.

Avalanches

They grow after the collapse of snow cornice blocks, which sets them in motion large volume snow.

Dust avalanches

An avalanche is characterized by a huge cloud or a thick coating of snow on trees and rocks. It is created when dry, powdery recent snow melts. The dust avalanche sometimes reaches speeds of 400 km/h. Risk factors are: snow dust, strong shock wave.

Avalanches are layered

They arise through the melting of sheet snow and reach speeds of 200 km/h. Of all snow avalanches, they are the most dangerous.

Avalanches of hard stratified snow

The flow is formed by the descent of solid layers of snow over a weak, loose layer of snow. They consist predominantly of flat snow blocks resulting from the destruction of dense formations.

Soft formation avalanches

A snow flow is formed by the descent of a soft layer of snow along the underlying surface. This type of avalanche is created from wet, settled dense or moderately bound snow.

Avalanches of monolithic ice and ice-snow formations

At the end of winter, snow deposits remain, which, under the influence external factors become much heavier, turning into firn, which eventually turns into ice.

Firn is snow cemented by frozen water. Formed by changes or temperature fluctuations.

Complex avalanches

Consist of several parts:

flying cloud of dry snow;
a dense flow of layered, loose snow.

They occur after a thaw or a sharp cold snap, which is the result of snow accumulation and its separation, thereby forming a complex avalanche. This type of avalanche has catastrophic consequences and can destroy a mountain settlement.

Avalanches are wet

Formed from snow accumulations with the presence bound water. Occur during the period of accumulation of moisture in snow masses, which occurs during precipitation and thaw.

Avalanches are wet

They arise due to the presence of unbound water in snow accumulations. Appear during a thaw with rain and warm wind. They can also occur by sliding of a wet snow layer over the surface of old snow.

Mudflow-like avalanches

They arise from snow formations with a large number moisture, the moving mass of which floats in a large volume of unbound water. They are the result of long thaws or rains, as a result of which the snow cover has a large excess of water.

The types of avalanches presented are quite dangerous, rapid flows, so you should not think that some are safer than others. Basic safety rules must always be followed.

Avalanche safety

The term avalanche safety refers to a set of actions aimed at protecting and eliminating the tragic consequences of avalanches.

As practice shows, in most accidents, extreme sports enthusiasts themselves are to blame, who, without calculating own strength, themselves violate the integrity and stability of the slopes. Unfortunately, fatalities occur every year.

The main rule for safe crossing of mountain ranges is complete knowledge of the territory being traversed, with all the dangers and obstacles, so that when extreme situation it was possible to calmly and carefully leave the dangerous section of the path.

People going to the mountains basic rules avalanche safety, know how to use avalanche equipment, otherwise the likelihood of falling under a snowfall and death is very high. The main equipment is avalanche shovels, beepers, avalanche probes, a float backpack, maps, and medical equipment.

Before going to the mountains, it will be useful to take courses on rescue work in case of a collapse, first aid, acceptance right decisions to save life. Also important stage is mental training and ways to overcome stress. You can learn this in courses to practice techniques for saving people or yourself.

If a person is a beginner, it will be useful to read books about avalanche safety, which describe different situations, moments, and stages of overcoming them. For a greater understanding of avalanches the best option will personal experience, obtained in the mountains in the presence of an experienced teacher.

Avalanche Safety Basics:

psychological attitude and preparation;
mandatory visit to the doctor;
listening to instructions on avalanche safety;
taking with you a sufficient amount of food, small in volume, a spare pair of clothes, shoes;
thorough study of the route and upcoming weather conditions;
taking a first aid kit, flashlight, compass, equipment on a hike;
going to the mountains with an experienced leader;
studying information about avalanches in order to have an idea of the degrees of avalanche safety in case of a landslide.

A list of avalanche equipment that you need to be able to work with confidently, quickly, for your own safety and to save victims:

tools for searching for victims: transmitter, avalanche ball, beeper, radar, avalanche shovel, avalanche probe, other necessary equipment;
tools for checking snow flooring: saw, thermometer, snow density meter and others;
tools for rescuing victims: backpacks with inflatable cushions, avalanche breathing apparatus;
tools for transporting victims, as well as medical equipment: bags, stretchers, backpacks.

Avalanche slopes: precautions

To avoid getting caught in an avalanche or if there is a high probability of an avalanche situation, you need to know a few important rules on avalanche safety and ways of prevention.

move on safe slopes;
do not go into the mountains without a compass, know the basics of wind direction;
move around elevated places, ridges that are more stable;
avoid slopes with snow cornices hanging above them;
return along the same road that they walked forward;
keep an eye on top layer slope;
do tests for the strength of snow cover;
fasten the belay well and reliably on the slope, otherwise an avalanche can drag a person with it;
take spare batteries for your phone and flashlight on the road, and also have the numbers of all nearby rescue services in your mobile phone’s memory.

If a group or a certain number of people still find themselves under an avalanche, you need to call rescuers, immediately starting the search yourself. In such a situation, the most necessary tools There will be an avalanche probe, beeper, and shovel.

Every person who goes to the mountains should have an avalanche probe. This tool performs the function of probing snow during search work. It is a disassembled rod, two to three meters long. During safety courses, a mandatory item is the assembly of an avalanche probe, so that if an extreme situation arises, it can be assembled in the shortest possible time.

An avalanche shovel is indispensable when searching for victims and is necessary for digging out snow. It is more effective when combined with an avalanche probe.

A beeper is a radio transmitter that can be used to track a person covered in snow.

Only with coordinated, quick actions can a comrade be saved. After thorough avalanche safety instruction, a person will be mentally and physically ready to help others.

As a result, I would like to emphasize that hiking in the mountains cannot be carried out with bad weather, in the evening or at night, when crossing a dangerous area, you must definitely use rope belay, be sure to have beepers, flashlights, avalanche shovels and avalanche probes in your arsenal. Some of these tools must necessarily be 3–4 m in length.

By observing all the rules and following the instructions, a person will protect himself from harmful consequences and return home safely.

Write to us if the article was useful.

Materials from the website www.snowway.ru and other open sources were used.