Snow cornice and snow avalanche monitoring using automatic time lapse cameras in Tasiapik Valley, Nunavik (Québec) during the winter of 2017–2018

• Published in: Arctic Science
• Main Authors: Veilleux, Samuel, Decaulne, Armelle, Bhiry, Najat
• Other Authors: Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique (LETG - Nantes), Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (IGARUN), Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Nantes (UN)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2), Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Rennes (UNIV-RENNES)-Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Caen Normandie (UNICAEN), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-École pratique des hautes études (EPHE), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), OHMi NUNAVIK, projet MOVE; IPEV #1148 DeSiGN
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2021
• Subjects: snow avalanche; snow cornice; failure; slopes; Nunavik avalanche; corniche de neige; chute; versant; Nunavik; OHMi NUNAVIK; [SDU.STU.GM]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Geomorphology; Umiujaq; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03405613; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03405613/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03405613/file/ArcticScience_Veilleux_2021_HAL.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2020-0013

International audience A series of automatic time-lapse cameras installed along the southwestern side of Tasiapik Valley, near the village of Umiujaq, Nunavik (northern Québec) documented several departure modes and types of snow involved in snow avalanches during winter 2017-2018. These included cornice-avalanche dynamics, slab and loose snow avalanches, and clean and dirty snow avalanches. At the top of the selected slope, a camera monitored the development of a snow cornice beginning in November 2017, detecting multiple cornice failures over the winter and spring. The track and deposition area of the runout paths were monitored from two cameras downslope, revealing the concomitance of snow-cornice fall and snow avalanche triggering. Snow avalanche activity remained relatively infrequent until the end of May 2018. Spring snow avalanche activity is characterized by wet and dirty snow avalanches carrying debris to the foot of the slope and by runout zones located near the road along the slope.