The Avalanche of Les Fonts d’Arinsal (Andorra): An Example of a Pure Powder, Dry Snow Avalanche

Furdada, Glòria; Margalef, Aina; Trapero, Laura; Pons, Marc; Areny, Francesc; Baró, Margaret; Reyes, Albert; Guinau, Marta

doi:10.3390/geosciences10040126

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Both its marked topography and its location between two climatically differentiated basins, the Mediterranean and Atlantic basins, mean that this mountain area presents a highly variable climate. The precipitation variability in this area has been extensively studied [1][2][3] since it is clearly associated with different natural hazards in the 2 of 16 Pyrenees, such as avalanches [4][5][6], heavy snowfall [7][8][9], or flood events [10][11][12], among many others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees: From the Local to the Synoptic Scale

et al. 2021

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Mountain systems within the Mediterranean region, e.g., the Pyrenees, are very sensitive to climate change. In the present study, we quantified the magnitude of extreme precipitation events and the number of days with torrential precipitation (daily precipitation ≥ 100 mm) in all the rain gauges available in the Pyrenees for the 1981–2015 period, analyzing the contribution of the synoptic scale in this type of event. The easternmost (under Mediterranean influence) and north-westernmost (under Atlantic influence) areas of the Pyrenees registered the highest number of torrential events. The heaviest events are expected in the eastern part, i.e., 400 mm day−1 for a return period of 200 years. Northerly advections over the Iberian Peninsula, which present a low zonal index, i.e., implying a stronger meridional component, give rise to torrential events over the western Pyrenees; and easterly advections favour extreme precipitation over the eastern Pyrenees. The air mass travels a long way, from the east coast of North America, bringing heavy rainfall to the western Pyrenees. In the case of the torrential events over the eastern Pyrenees, the trajectory of the air mass causing the events in these areas is very short and originates in the Mediterranean Basin. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index has no influence upon the occurrence of torrential events in the Pyrenees, but these events are closely related to certain Mediterranean teleconnections such as the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO).

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees: From the Local to the Synoptic Scale

et al. 2021

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“…We believe that this avalanche could be similar to the one that occurred in Arinsal, Andorra, in February 1996. In the Arinsal catastrophic event, post-avalanche measurements estimated a volume larger than 0.8 × 10 6 m 3 [34] to 1.5 × 10 6 [35]. In that case, the size of the starting zone was around 50 ha.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Historic Avalanche that Destroyed the Village of Àrreu in 1803, Catalan Pyrenees

Oller¹,

Fischer

Muntán³

2020

Geosciences

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The purpose of the present study was to reconstruct the avalanche which destroyed the village of Àrreu in 1803 to solve the unknowns about this historic event, and in a broader context, to improve the knowledge about these low-frequency avalanches in the Pyrenees. To this end, a multidisciplinary approach was carried out by searching in historical sources and databases, reviewing aerial imagery, surveying the site for terrain and vegetation inspection, using dendrogeomorphological analysis, and interviewing local people, to finally apply SAMOS-AT computational simulations and the statistical α-β model. In the Monars avalanche path, 5 major avalanche events were identified, including the one in 1803. Most of these events were dense flow avalanches, but evidence of powder-fraction effects was deduced from the vegetation survey. Frequency analyses assigned a return period of more than 100 years to the 1803 event. Historical information suggests that a succession of avalanches is necessary for an event to reach the hamlet. Simulations indicate that a single avalanche of destructive size 5 would be sufficient to cause the catastrophe, and, at the same time, it would travel 1 km further down along the Àrreu river to the main valley (Noguera Pallaresa).

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“…Both its marked topography and its location between two climatically differentiated basins, the Mediterranean and Atlantic basins, mean that this mountain area presents a highly variable climate. The precipitation variability in this area has been extensively studied [1][2][3], since it is clearly associated with different natural hazards in the Pyrenees, such as avalanches [4][5][6], heavy snowfall [7][8][9], or flood events [10][11][12], among many others.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees. From the Local to the Synoptic Scale.

Lemus-Cánovas¹,

López-Bustins²,

Martín‐Vide³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Mountain systems within the Mediterranean region, e.g. the Pyrenees, are very sensitive to climate change. In the present study, we quantified the magnitude of extreme precipitation events and the number of days with torrential precipitation (daily precipitation ≥ 100 mm) in all the rain gauges available in the Pyrenees for the 1981-2015 period, analyzing the contribution of the synoptic scale in this type of events. The easternmost (under the Mediterranean influence) and north-westernmost (under Atlantic influence) areas of the Pyrenees registered the highest number of torrential events. The heaviest events are expected in the eastern part, i.e. 400 mm day-1 for a return period of 200 years. Northerly advections over the Iberian Peninsula, which present a low zonal index, i.e. im-plying a stronger meridional component, give rise to torrential events over the western Pyrenees; and easterly advections favour extreme precipitation over the eastern Pyrenees. The air mass travels a long way, from the east coast of North America, bringing heavy rainfall to the western Pyrenees. In the case of the torrential events over the eastern Pyrenees, the air mass causing the events in these areas is very short and originates in the Mediterranean Basin. The NAO index has no influence upon the occurrence of torrential events in the Pyrenees, but these events are closely related to certain Mediterranean teleconnections such as the WeMO

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The Avalanche of Les Fonts d’Arinsal (Andorra): An Example of a Pure Powder, Dry Snow Avalanche

Cited by 9 publications

References 30 publications

Characterisation of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees: From the Local to the Synoptic Scale

Characterisation of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees: From the Local to the Synoptic Scale

The Historic Avalanche that Destroyed the Village of Àrreu in 1803, Catalan Pyrenees

Characterization of Extreme Precipitation Events in the Pyrenees. From the Local to the Synoptic Scale.

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