Lecturer: Massimiliano Barbolini  

Course name: Snow and Avalanches
Course code: 503268
Degree course: Ingegneria Civile, Ingegneria per l'Ambiente e il Territorio
Disciplinary field of science: ICAR/02
University credits: ECTS 3
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

At the end of the course the student should have acquired the basic concepts and operational tools needed for avalanche risk assessment and preliminary design of defense structures. In particular, it should be able to: recognize an avalanche site on the basis of the morphological characteristics of the terrain and vegetation; classify an avalanche according to either its phenomenological properties or size; evaluate the probability of avalanches release on the basis of stratigraphic characteristics of the snowpack; estimate the runout distances of an avalanches in function of its return period; calculate the main dynamic features of the phenomenon (speed and impact pressure); make a preliminary design of the structural works needed to mitigate avalanche risk.

Course programme

General introduction to the course

Snow and snow cover

• Snow formation in the atmosphere
• Snow cover formation and metamorphisms
• Snow cover stability and avalanche triggering mechanisms
• Snow cover stratigraphy and stability tests

Snow avalanches

• Avalanche classification
• Avalanche terrain
• Avalanche dynamics
• Avalanche modelling (dynamical models, statistical models)
• Avalanche return period and encounter probability
• Avalanche intensity (velocity, impact pressure)

Avalanche protection

• general concepts of risk mitigation
• avalanche maps
• active defence works
• passive defence works

Course entry requirements

n.a.

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 20
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 4
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

Reading material on specific topics will be made available by the lecturer

D. McClung, P. Schaerer. The Avalanche Handbook. The Mountaineers, 1993.

Testing and exams

written exam