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📘 How an avalanche starts

Follow layered snow, weak interfaces, slope angle, triggers, crack propagation, release, and runout.

lessons

~10 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Adults

level

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What you’ll learn

Snowpack
Start zone
Weak layer
Loading
Trigger
Crack
Release
Point release
Runout
Equilibrium

Questions this course answers

What usually lies beneath a slab avalanche?

A cohesive slab can detach when a buried weak layer fails.

Why does slope angle matter?

Steepness affects whether gravity can overcome resistance after failure.

What can trigger an avalanche?

Triggers increase stress or reduce snowpack strength.

What is a crown?

The crown marks where the slab detached at the top of the release.

Why can an avalanche travel beyond its start zone?

Moving snow gains momentum and may entrain more material downhill.

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