...THE WHITE DRAGON'S WAKE...
INTRODUCTION
TYPES
OF AVALANCHE
THE
MECHANISM OF AVALANCHE RELEASE
FORECASTING
SNOW AVALANCHES
AVALANCHE
CONTROL TECHNIQUES
AVALANCHE
HAZARD RATINGS
AVALANCHE
TRAINING FOR DOGS
INFO
ON THE PAGE OWNERS
- OTHER TYPES OF AVALANCHES
As part of the sliding snow is whirled into the air, avalanches composed of dry snow usually generate a dust cloud. Such slides, most frequently originate as soft slabs, are called powder snow avalanches. Under favorable circumstances, enough snow crystals are mixed with the air to form an aerosol which behaves as a sharply bounded body of dense gas rushing down the slope ahead of the sliding snow. This wind blast can achieve high velocities to inflict heavy and capricious destruction even well beyond the normal bounds of the avalanche path.
Wet snow avalanches move more slowly than dry ones and seldom are accompanied by dust clouds. Their higher snow density can lend them enormous destructive force in spite of lower velocities. As wet slides reach their deposition zones, the interaction of sliding and stagnated snow produces characteristic channeling.
Usually involving fresh snow, direct action avalanches fall as the immediate result of a single snow storm.
Climax avalanches are caused by a series of snow storms or a culmination of weather influences. Their fall is not necessarily associated with a given current storm or weather situation.
