A Review of Russian Snow Avalanche Models—From Analytical Solutions to Novel 3D Models

Eglit, M. E.; Yakubenko, A. E.; Zayko, Julia

doi:10.3390/geosciences10020077

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(194 reference statements)

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“…All the flows with θ = 40 and 50 • go to the connecting-arc and deposition zones, giving α < θ . Note that the runout angle α has been correlated to the mean slope angle β in exploring the runout distance of snow avalanches (Lied and Bakkehøi, 1980;Barbolini et al, 2000;Delparte et al, 2008). As ideal slopes (see Fig.…”

Section: Maximum Velocity and αmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the flow regimes have been identified based on macro flow behavior from the real measurements, their underlying physics remains unclear. Numerical and theoretical models can provide efficient and comprehensive analysis to shed light on the internal flow characteristics underpinning the macro flow behavior but are extremely challenging (Faug et al, 2018). To date, there has been no recognized model capable of capturing and analyzing the diverse behaviors of snow avalanches in a systematic and well-controlled way.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The mechanical origin of snow avalanche dynamics and flow regime transitions

Sovilla²,

Jiang

et al. 2020

The Cryosphere

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Abstract. Snow avalanches cause fatalities and economic damage. Key to their mitigation is the understanding of snow avalanche dynamics. This study investigates the dynamic behavior of snow avalanches, using the material point method (MPM) and an elastoplastic constitutive law for porous cohesive materials. By virtue of the hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian nature of the MPM, we can handle processes involving large deformations, collisions and fractures. Meanwhile, the elastoplastic model enables us to capture the mixed-mode failure of snow, including tensile, shear and compressive failure. Using the proposed numerical approach, distinct behaviors of snow avalanches, from fluid-like to solid-like, are examined with varied snow mechanical properties. In particular, four flow regimes reported from real observations are identified, namely, cold dense, warm shear, warm plug and sliding slab regimes. Moreover, notable surges and roll waves are observed peculiarly for flows in transition from cold dense to warm shear regimes. Each of the flow regimes shows unique flow characteristics in terms of the evolution of the avalanche front, the free-surface shape, and the vertical velocity profile. We further explore the influence of slope geometry on the behavior of snow avalanches, including the effect of slope angle and path length on the maximum flow velocity, the runout angle and the deposit height. Unified trends are obtained between the normalized maximum flow velocity and the scaled runout angle as well as the scaled deposit height, reflecting analogous rules with different geometry conditions of the slope. It is found that the maximum flow velocity is mainly controlled by the friction between the bed and the flow, the geometry of the slope, and the snow properties. We reveal the crucial effect of both flow and deposition behaviors on the runout angle. Furthermore, our MPM modeling is calibrated and tested with simulations of real snow avalanches. The evolution of the avalanche front position and velocity from the MPM modeling shows reasonable agreement with the measurement data from the literature. The MPM approach serves as a novel and promising tool to offer systematic and quantitative analysis for mitigation of gravitational hazards like snow avalanches.

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Section: Maximum Velocity and αmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mechanical origin of snow avalanche dynamics and flow regime transitions

Sovilla²,

Jiang

et al. 2020

The Cryosphere

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“…Four short essays (Sections 3-6) discuss points of potential relevance for today's research. I hope that this, together with Reference [17], will give western researchers a fuller appreciation of the pioneering work on avalanche dynamics from the Soviet era and further the progress in this field.…”

Section: On the History Of The Paper By Grigorian And Ostroumovmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The only difference is that the pressure from the downstream side is not hydrostatic fluid pressure, but the resistance of the (solid) snow cover. A derivation of the shock velocity ω in terms of the depth δ, density ρ 0 , and compressive strength σ * of the snow cover as well as the frontal flow depth h f , density ρ 1 , and near-front velocity u f can be found in, for example, Reference [17], the result being…”

Section: The Eglit-grigorian-yakimov Model For Frontal Entrainmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Equation ( 6) assumes the hydrostatic pressure in the avalanche front to be sufficient to erode and entrain the entire erodible snow cover. In (Reference [17], Equation ( 5)) three alternative modifications of the model in the case of Equation ( 6) predicting ω < 0 are suggested, but no unique solution is singled out. However, the mass jump equation ρ 0 ωδ = ρ 1 (ω − u f )h f implies the strong constraint…”

Section: The Eglit-grigorian-yakimov Model For Frontal Entrainmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comments on “On a Continuum Model for Avalanche Flow and Its Simplified Variants” by S. S. Grigorian and A. V. Ostroumov

Issler

2020

Geosciences

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This note first summarizes the history of the manuscript “On a Continuum Model for Avalanche Flow and Its Simplified Variants” by Grigorian and Ostroumov—published in this Special Issue—since the early 1990s and explains the guiding principles in editing it for publication. The changes are then detailed and some explanatory notes given for the benefit of readers who are not familiar with the early Russian work on snow avalanche dynamics. Finally, the editor’s personal views as to why he still considers this paper of relevance for avalanche dynamics research today are presented in brief essays on key aspects of the paper, namely the role of simple and complex models in avalanche research and mitigation work, the status and possible applications of Grigorian’s stress-limited friction law, and non-monotonicity of the dynamics of the Grigorian–Ostroumov model in the friction coefficient. A comparison of the erosion model proposed by those authors with two other models suggests to enhance it with an additional equation for the balance of tangential momentum across the shock front. A preliminary analysis indicates that continuous scouring entrainment is possible only in a restricted parameter range and that there is a second erosion regime with delayed entrainment.

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Three-dimensional and real-scale modeling of flow regimes in dense snow avalanches

Sovilla²,

Jiang

et al. 2021

Landslides

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Snow avalanches cause fatalities and economic loss worldwide and are one of the most dangerous gravitational hazards in mountainous regions. Various flow behaviors have been reported in snow avalanches, making them challenging to be thoroughly understood and mitigated. Existing popular numerical approaches for modeling snow avalanches predominantly adopt depth-averaged models, which are computationally efficient but fail to capture important features along the flow depth direction such as densification and granulation. This study applies a three-dimensional (3D) material point method (MPM) to explore snow avalanches in different regimes on a complex real terrain. Flow features of the snow avalanches from release to deposition are comprehensively characterized for identification of the different regimes. In particular, brittle and ductile fractures are identified in the different modeled avalanches shortly after their release. During the flow, the analysis of local snow density variation reveals that snow granulation requires an appropriate combination of snow fracture and compaction. In contrast, cohesionless granular flows and plug flows are mainly governed by expansion and compaction hardening, respectively. Distinct textures of avalanche deposits are characterized, including a smooth surface, rough surfaces with snow granules, as well as a surface showing compacting shear planes often reported in wet snow avalanche deposits. Finally, the MPM modeling is verified with a real snow avalanche that occurred at Vallée de la Sionne, Switzerland. The MPM framework has been proven as a promising numerical tool for exploring complex behavior of a wide range of snow avalanches in different regimes to better understand avalanche dynamics. In the future, this framework can be extended to study other types of gravitational mass movements such as rock/glacier avalanches and debris flows with implementation of modified constitutive laws.

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A Review of Russian Snow Avalanche Models—From Analytical Solutions to Novel 3D Models

Cited by 19 publications

References 59 publications

The mechanical origin of snow avalanche dynamics and flow regime transitions

The mechanical origin of snow avalanche dynamics and flow regime transitions

Comments on “On a Continuum Model for Avalanche Flow and Its Simplified Variants” by S. S. Grigorian and A. V. Ostroumov

Three-dimensional and real-scale modeling of flow regimes in dense snow avalanches

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