Supporting Forces and Stability of Snow-Slab Avalanches: A Parameter Study

Abstract

The fracture of a slab avalanche is a multi-phase and progressive process. The different kinds of fracture and possible scenarios of avalanche release in the form of a zip effect are shown. In the course of investigations, most importance has so far been attached to shear failure along the sliding surface. Various cases of load and their effects on the stresses, on the changes of strength, and on the stability of the inclined snow-pack are discussed. The usual simple model of the shear-stability index is unsatisfactory. The present paper deals with the complex interaction of all supporting forces of a snow slab by means of simplified geotechnical considerations. For this purpose, the acting and reacting forces of a “standard avalanche” (i.e. dead load with driving and normal component, shear force, tensile force, compressive force, and flank force) are estimated from published boundary values. Using different combinations (e.g. hard slab with high circumferential forces on a weak shear surface with low shear force), it can be shown that suspension at the crown and lower and lateral support are of great importance. This applies especially to cases with low shear forces and, consequently, with low overall stability. Despite the fact that the circumferential area of the model avalanche is only 6% of the area of the shear surface, the circumferential force in this case is more than 150% of the shear force. In a parameter study with different avalanche sizes, these results are generalized and confirmed. For the assumed strength limits, critical areas and depths of possible slab avalanches can be derived. Although the supporting shear force is the major contributor to stability, particularly with larger slabs, it can be seen from the investigations that the redistributions of stress and spatial supports and suspensions of the whole slab avalanche must not be neglected in stability analyses.