AvaRange – Particle Tracking in Snow Avalanches

The project AvaRange Particle Tracking in Snow Avalanches aims at increasing the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of avalanches, which is currently mostly based on laboratory experiments and computer simulations. One example is that large particles commonly rise to the surface and are preferentially transported to the front of the avalanche, while smaller ones rather stay behind. Thus, particle and supposedly snow properties influence the flow mobility and therefore the expected run-out, which is a key parameter in avalanche hazard assessments. Technical advances in the field of wireless sensor networks and the Internet of things play an increasing role in our everyday life and also find application in studies of natural phenomena. Examples include ranging applications in self-localization of mobile robots or flying drones to dynamic wildlife monitoring. Inertial navigation systems are widely used in engineering as well as daily applications such as naval, aircraft, and, in particular, drone navigation, positioning in cell phone applications, motion analysis, and many others. The combination and enhancement of these raging and navigation technologies will allow us notable advances in examining the internal flow behavior of snow in a fundamentally new way. Our sensor systems, equipped with communication and sensing capabilities, are embedded in robust housings and will be placed in avalanche release areas. After an (artificial) avalanche release, the sensors move with the avalanche. Inertial navigation sensors record information on the local motion and wireless radio communication allows to track the distances between the sensors over time. Until now, no such solution exists covering all the mentioned aspects of avalanche tracking. Thus, in order to accurately track the complex avalanche flow, a new and innovative system based on the combination of existing sensors will be developed. This will allow to reconstruct the flow trajectories of the sensors in multiple ways and, thus, the internal flow behavior of the avalanche. The harsh experimental environments require for inexpensive, durable, yet highly accurate sensor combinations with robust radio transmission in snow. These sensors will also be of interest for all kinds of different gravitational mass flows beyond the scope of the project. Furthermore, the project results have a huge relevance and potentials in a socio-economic and public-safety context. Avalanches are an inevitable thread in alpine environments. The understanding of particle transport and the respective flow trajectories in avalanche flows is highly relevant for, e.g., ski burial location prediction or transport of debris material in avalanches and their impact location.

The DACH research project "AvaRange: particle tracking in snow avalanches" is investigating how avalanches flow, which factors determine their runout and how destructive they are. Although avalanches can now be predicted and simulated well, there are still many unanswered questions about the dynamics within movement inside the snow masses, for example. The project is being supported by several research institutions, including the Austrian Research Center for Forests, the Technical University of Berlin, the University of Innsbruck and the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences. The main aim is to develop new measurement techniques and computer simulations to track individual objects in an avalanche. Through these measurements, the team hopes to gain a better understanding of how objects are transported in avalanches. In the future, this could make it possible to predict trajectories and burial sites more accurately and improve existing simulation models. In the long term, these findings should help to increase safety in avalanche terrain or contribute to better planning of protective measures for roads and railroad lines in mountain regions, for example. Newly developed sensors, known as AvaNodes, record data directly in real avalanches. This data is then compared with computer simulations in order to check and further develop existing models. To find out which sensors work best in the harsh environment of a chaotic snow avalanche, different types are tested. These sensors use technologies also found in smartphones, including satellite navigation, motion sensors, temperature sensors and radio technology-based ranging. The sensors are installed in specially manufactured, cube- or sphere-shaped housings of different sizes and are placed specifically in avalanche trigger areas. As soon as an avalanche is triggered, they collect important information about the movement of the snow masses. The researchers are also investigating how the shape, size and density of the sensors affect their movement. As snow characteristics such as the amount of fresh snow, density and temperature also play a role, as many different avalanche events as possible are analyzed. Avalanche experiments on the Nordkette mountain range near Innsbruck are an important part of the project. The responsible avalanche commission of the local ski resort regularly carries out avalanche control work, which provide the research team with valuable data. The knowledge gained is incorporated into the open source simulation tool AvaFrame, which can also be used by scientists worldwide beyond the project to better model avalanche movements. In this way, the project not only contributes to avalanche research, but also to the development of practical engineering tools for greater safety in the Alpine region.