Geography 2152F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Climatology, Chilkoot Trail, Temperatures Rising
7 Apr 2019
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Lecture 10 avalanches: definition: a mass of snow many cubic metres in volume that separates from a snowpack and flows downslope. Rocks, soil, ice, and debris can travel in a similar motion; however, the term avalanche is generally reserved for snow. The intensity of the hazards is dependent on slope steepness, snowpack stability, and weather. There are two types: an avalanche travelling as a coherent block, an avalanche that becomes wider as it travels downslope. It is estimated that over 99% of avalanches are not seen by anyone. It is likely that over 1 million avalanches large enough to kill a person occur annually in western canada alone. Snowfall accumulation depends on latitude, altitude, and proximity to bodies of water. Temperature decreases with altitude therefore high mountains have permanent snow cover. Snow accumulates on mountain slopes that are at angles of less than 60 degrees (ground up). The probability of a white christmas takes into account average snow cover.
