Evaluating snow weak-layer rupture parameters through inverse Finite Element modeling of shaking-platform experiments

Podolskiy, Evgeny A.; Chambon, Guillaume; Naaïm, Mohamed; Gaume, Johan

doi:10.5194/nhessd-2-4525-2014

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(84 reference statements)

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“…This friction angle value, however, is lower than the dry (or crack face) friction which is typically around 30 • [van Herwijnen and Heierli, 2009]. The latter value is generally used in avalanche release models using the MC criterion [Gaume et al, 2013[Gaume et al, , 2014a[Gaume et al, , 2014bPodolskiy et al, 2014b] and is thus slightly too high.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new mixed‐mode failure criterion for weak snowpack layers

Reiweger¹,

Gaume²,

Schweizer³

2015

Geophysical Research Letters

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The failure of a weak snow layer is the first in a series of processes involved in dry‐snow slab avalanche release. The nature of the initial failure within the weak layer is not yet fully understood but widely debated. The knowledge of the failure criterion is essential for developing avalanche release models and hence for avalanche hazard assessment. Yet different release models assume contradictory criteria as input parameters. We analyzed loading experiments on snow failure performed in a cold laboratory with samples containing a persistent weak snow layer of either faceted crystal, depth hoar, or buried surface hoar. The failure behavior of these layers can be described well with a modified Mohr‐Coulomb model accounting for the possible compressive failure of snow. We consequently propose a new mixed‐mode shear‐compression failure criterion that can be used in avalanche release models.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new mixed‐mode failure criterion for weak snowpack layers

Reiweger¹,

Gaume²,

Schweizer³

2015

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…There have been some attempts to evaluate the internal friction angle of snow weak layers. Detailed studies were recently conducted by Podolskiy et al [42] who reported values of φ ranging from 15° to 30°, and by Reiweger et al [43] who arrived at a mean value of about 20° with values ranging from 12° to 28°. Note that the recent theoretical studies addressing the problem of avalanche release used different values of friction angle of either 20° [41] or 30° [40].…”

Section: Parametric and Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mechanism of delayed release in earthquake-induced avalanches

2019

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Snow avalanches can be triggered by strong earthquakes. Most existing models assume that snow slab avalanches happen simultaneously during or immediately after their triggering. Therefore, they cannot explain the plausibility of delayed avalanches that are released minutes to hours after a quake. This paper establishes the basic mechanism of delays in earthquake-induced avalanche release using a novel analytical model that yields dynamics consistent with three documented cases, including two from Western Himalaya and one from central Italy. The mechanism arises from the interplay between creep, strain softening and strain-rate sensitivity of snow, which drive the growth of a basal shear fracture. Our model demonstrates that earthquake-triggered delayed avalanches are rare, yet possible, and could lead to significant damage, especially in long milder slopes. The generality of the model formulation opens a new approach for exploring many other problems related to natural slab avalanche release.

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“…Several previous studies suggested a pure shear [19] or Mohr–Coulomb (MC) criterion for weak snow layer failure [6, 8–10, 14, 23, 24]. Under this model, failure is predicted to occur only for slope angles larger than the angle of internal friction, typically above .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical investigation of the mixed-mode failure of snow

Mulak

Gaume

2019

Comp. Part. Mech.

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The failure of a weak snow layer underlying a cohesive slab is the primary step in the release process of a dry snow slab avalanche. The complex and heterogeneous microstructure of snow limits our understanding of failure initiation inside the weak layer, especially under mixed-mode shear–compression loading. Further complication arises from the dependence of snow strength on the loading rate induced by the balance between bond breaking and bond formation (sintering) during the failure process. Here, we use the discrete element method to investigate the influence of mixed-mode loading and fast sintering on the failure of a weak layer generated using cohesive ballistic deposition. Both fast and slow loading simulations resulted in a mixed-mode failure envelope in good agreement with laboratory experiments. We show that the number of broken bonds at failure and the weak layer strength significantly decreases with increasing loading angle, regardless of the loading rate. While the influence of loading rate appears negligible in shear-dominant loading (for loading angles above ), simulations suggest a significant increase in the weak layer strength at low loading angles and low loading rates, characteristic of natural avalanches, due to the presence of an active sintering mechanism.

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Evaluating snow weak-layer rupture parameters through inverse Finite Element modeling of shaking-platform experiments

Cited by 3 publications

References 61 publications

A new mixed‐mode failure criterion for weak snowpack layers

A new mixed‐mode failure criterion for weak snowpack layers

The mechanism of delayed release in earthquake-induced avalanches

Numerical investigation of the mixed-mode failure of snow

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