Documentation And Analysis Of Avalanche Events

Due to the rare occurrence of huge avalanches, documentation and analysis of these events is very important for the enhanced understanding of avalanche dynamics and processes. However, snow is a material that changes its behaviour and appearance very fast, and hence the documentation and analysis of such events should happen as fast as possible. In this paper the importance of the acquisition of well defined data for further recalculation and deeper analysis of the event is shown. Typical types of hazard features and damages are described, and an interpretation of these phenomena is given. The description, and in particular the correct interpretation of such phenomena, is very important for reconstruction and recalculation of the occurred avalanche process. Some experience was made in the avalanche winter 1999 and the need for standardization of documentation and analysis was shown. Since then a database and some standardization procedures have been developed in Austria, and nowadays different kinds of natural hazards are collected in this database in a standardized way. Education in documentation of natural hazard events is provided at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences Vienna.