Determination of the Principal Stresses of a Snow Cover on a Mountain Slope Using Snow Pressure Gauges

Abstract

Principal stresses in a snow cover on a uniform slope were determined by two methods , each using thin pressure gauges to measure snow pressure in the snow . These snow pressures were principal stress a 2 on a vertical plane perpendicular to the contour lines and normal compressive stress O"e on a plane perpendicular to the vertical plane. In addition, plastic Poisson's ratio v was estimated in a snow cover on level ground. Estimates of principal strain rates were used to calculate principal stresses and viscosity by two different methods, using estimates of v and the constitutive equations of

Modelling and simulation in snow science

“…As already mentioned from a purely mechanical point of view (neglecting metamorphosis processes and temperature influences) the snow cover can be treated as elastic, viscoelastic or viscous medium [1,8,10,13,15]. Because of the focus on "long time deformation" and concentration on the well settled snow cover for which viscous behaviour is predominant, a linear viscous constitutive equation was employed.…”

Measurement of Strains and Pressure in a Snow Cover on a Slope

“…Two methods of stress determination from snow pressure are given separately (Oh'izumi and Huzioka 1985).…”