Relationship Between the Development of Depth Hoar and Avalanche Release in the Tian Shan Mountains, China

• Published in: Journal of Glaciology
• Main Authors: Weilin, Ma, Ruji, Hu
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1990
• Subjects: Earth-Surface Processes; Journal of Glaciology
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000005529; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000005529

Abstract In spring and winter, there is a considerable amount of solid precipitation in the western part of the Tian Shan mountains. Avalanches frequently occur here, and often endanger national economic construction and human life. Observation shows that the avalanche occurrences are closely related to the physical characteristics of the snow, especially to the development of depth hoar in the snow cover. The conditions for the development of depth hoar are determined by thickness of the snow cover, air temperature, ground-temperature regime, and the duration of negative temperatures. The results of this study have revealed that the optimum depth of snow cover for the development of depth hoar is about 80 cm in the Tian Shan mountains, and the mean maximum depth of the snow cover in this region is 78 cm. Therefore, depth hoar develops extraordinarily well. The thickness of depth hoar can reach more than 80% of the total snow-cover depth. That is one of the main reasons why avalanches still occur frequently under the conditions of a limited snow-cover depth in the western part of the Tian Shan mountains.