Variation of deposition depth with slope angle in snow avalanches: Measurements from Vallee SSSSionne

• Published in: Journal of Geophysical Research. F. Earth Surface 2010-05, Vol.115 (F02)
• Main Authors: Sovilla, Betty, McElwaine, Jim N, Schaer, Mark, Vallet, Julien
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0148-0227
• DOI: 10.1029/2009JF001390

The snow surface height was precisely measured, with a laser scanner, before and after the passage of two dry-mixed avalanches in Vallee SSSSionne during the winter of 2005-2006. The measurements were used to calculate the depth of the deposited snow along each entire avalanche path with a height resolution of 100 mm and a horizontal resolution of 500 mm. These data are much more accurate than any previous measurements from large avalanches and show that the deposit depth is strongly negatively correlated with the slope angle. That is, on steep slopes the deposit is shallow, and on gentle slopes the deposit is deep. The time evolution of the snow depth, showing the initial erosion and final deposition as the avalanche passed, was also observed at one position using a frequency-modulated continuous wave radar. Measurements at a nearby position gave flow speed profiles and showed that the avalanche tail consists of a steady state subcritical flow that lasts for about 100 s. Eventually, the tail slowly decelerates as the depth slightly decreases, and then it comes to rest. We show that the dependency between the slope angle and the deposition depth can be explained by both a cohesive friction model and the Pouliquen hstop model.