frontal dynamics of powder snow avalanches.pptVIP

Frontal Dynamics of Powder Snow Avalanches Field data Consider avalanche head Principal assumptions in the cloud Rankine half-body potential flow Experiments and simulations on eruption currents Static pressure in the cloud Porous snow pack Porous snow pack Frontal Dynamics Mass balance Mass balance Stability Stability diagram Frontal Dynamics Acceleration Other predictions Height vs distance Froude number vs distance Volume growth Impact pressure ≠ static pressure Air entrainment Air entrainment into the head Conclusions Our model of eruption currents is closed without material input from surface erosion or interface air entrainment. Porous snowpacks synergistically eject massive amounts of snow into the head of powder clouds. Suspension density swells the cloud and weakens its internal velocity field. Mass balance stability sets cloud growth. Changes in channel width affect acceleration. Experiments should record cloud density and pore pressure. Thank you * Cian Carroll, Barbara Turnbull and Michel Louge EGU General Assembly, Vienna, April 27, 2012 Sponsored by ACS Petroleum Research Fund Thanks to Christophe Ancey, Perry Bartelt, Othmar Buser, Jim McElwaine,Florence Mohamed Naiim, Matthew Scase,Betty Sovilla Sovilla, et al, JGR (2010) rapid eruption Issler (2002) Sovilla et al (2006) time (s) height (m) time (s) static pressure (Pa) McElwaine Turnbull JGR (2005) depression Sovilla, et al JGR (2006) slope width distance (m) distance (m) rapid eruption Issler (2002) Sovilla et al (2006) source avalanche rest frame avalanche head source avalanche head Negligible basal shear stress Negligible air entrainment Inviscid Uniform mixture density Swelling Rankine, Proc. Roy. Soc. (1864) Slowing U’ U pressure p, air density r, cloud density r’ stagnation-source distance b’ fluidized depth h’ prediction data: McElwaine and TurnbullJGR (2005) interface pore pressure p Pore pressure gradients defeat cohesion rapid eruption Issler (2002) time (s) height (m)