Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China
Abstract A section of the highway through the Gunes valley can be seriously interrupted by avalanching; in 1966-67 traffic was interrupted for four months. About 86 places are threatened by avalanches, most of which are channelled avalanches that do not reach the highway every year. A comprehensive...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1980
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011151 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011151 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0022143000011151 2024-04-07T07:53:42+00:00 Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China Yanlong, Wang Zichu, Xie Zhizhong, Zhang 1980 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011151 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011151 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) Journal of Glaciology volume 26, issue 94, page 520-521 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 Earth-Surface Processes journal-article 1980 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011151 2024-03-08T00:33:06Z Abstract A section of the highway through the Gunes valley can be seriously interrupted by avalanching; in 1966-67 traffic was interrupted for four months. About 86 places are threatened by avalanches, most of which are channelled avalanches that do not reach the highway every year. A comprehensive programme to study the avalanches was begun in 1967 on the basis of which avalanche protective works were undertaken in 1974-75 and their effectiveness analysed in 1976-77. Most of these depend on local material; the main rock deposits available are andesite, which has good permeability and is very suitable for earthworks. The most common type of defence used is the building of mounds, 4-6 m high, 10-12 m wide, and 20-30 m long with a ditch dug in front. Such mounds have the effect of braking the avalanche flow and also of capturing snow on the uphill side. A second system is the terracing of slopes; beginning from the avalanche fracture line, earth is dug parallel to the contours. In two places dykes have been built to guide the snow, and in a few places avalanche sheds have been constructed, though because of expense these have been kept to a minimum. As the soil and climatic conditions are very suitable, tree planting around structures is a successful way of increasing avalanche protection. During the analysis of effectiveness snow-fall as recorded was heavy, but the defences were effective and avalanches did not seriously interrupt the highway. Article in Journal/Newspaper Journal of Glaciology Cambridge University Press Journal of Glaciology 26 94 520 521 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
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crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth-Surface Processes |
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Earth-Surface Processes Yanlong, Wang Zichu, Xie Zhizhong, Zhang Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
topic_facet |
Earth-Surface Processes |
description |
Abstract A section of the highway through the Gunes valley can be seriously interrupted by avalanching; in 1966-67 traffic was interrupted for four months. About 86 places are threatened by avalanches, most of which are channelled avalanches that do not reach the highway every year. A comprehensive programme to study the avalanches was begun in 1967 on the basis of which avalanche protective works were undertaken in 1974-75 and their effectiveness analysed in 1976-77. Most of these depend on local material; the main rock deposits available are andesite, which has good permeability and is very suitable for earthworks. The most common type of defence used is the building of mounds, 4-6 m high, 10-12 m wide, and 20-30 m long with a ditch dug in front. Such mounds have the effect of braking the avalanche flow and also of capturing snow on the uphill side. A second system is the terracing of slopes; beginning from the avalanche fracture line, earth is dug parallel to the contours. In two places dykes have been built to guide the snow, and in a few places avalanche sheds have been constructed, though because of expense these have been kept to a minimum. As the soil and climatic conditions are very suitable, tree planting around structures is a successful way of increasing avalanche protection. During the analysis of effectiveness snow-fall as recorded was heavy, but the defences were effective and avalanches did not seriously interrupt the highway. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Yanlong, Wang Zichu, Xie Zhizhong, Zhang |
author_facet |
Yanlong, Wang Zichu, Xie Zhizhong, Zhang |
author_sort |
Yanlong, Wang |
title |
Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
title_short |
Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
title_full |
Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
title_fullStr |
Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
title_full_unstemmed |
Prevention of Avalanches in the Gunes Valley in T’ien-Shan, China |
title_sort |
prevention of avalanches in the gunes valley in t’ien-shan, china |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
1980 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011151 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0022143000011151 |
genre |
Journal of Glaciology |
genre_facet |
Journal of Glaciology |
op_source |
Journal of Glaciology volume 26, issue 94, page 520-521 ISSN 0022-1430 1727-5652 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022143000011151 |
container_title |
Journal of Glaciology |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
94 |
container_start_page |
520 |
op_container_end_page |
521 |
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1795669793815134208 |