Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik
International audience In this article, we study snow avalanche activity during the snow seasons of 2017-2020 using four automatic time-lapse cameras strategically positioned along the southwestern slope of Tasiapik Valley, near the village of Umiujaq, in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada). Over the...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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Main Authors: | , , |
Other Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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HAL CCSD
2023
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Online Access: | https://hal.science/hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282/document https://hal.science/hal-04080282/file/AAAR_20238_Grenier-et-al.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 |
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Archive Ouverte de l'Université Rennes (HAL) |
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English |
topic |
Time-lapse cameras snow avalanches weather data Nunavik [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology |
spellingShingle |
Time-lapse cameras snow avalanches weather data Nunavik [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology Grenier, Jérémy Bhiry, Najat Decaulne, Armelle Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
topic_facet |
Time-lapse cameras snow avalanches weather data Nunavik [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology |
description |
International audience In this article, we study snow avalanche activity during the snow seasons of 2017-2020 using four automatic time-lapse cameras strategically positioned along the southwestern slope of Tasiapik Valley, near the village of Umiujaq, in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada). Over the three snow seasons, cameras helped to detect evidence of 130 avalanche events, scattered over seventy-eight distinct avalanche days. The evolution of weather conditions prior to each avalanche release was detailed according to data from a nearby weather station. Moreover, the time of release, the release type, the surface texture, and whether rocky material was present in the deposits were documented from the photographs. To explore relationships between weather data and avalanche releases, conditional inference tree (CIT) analysis was conducted. Results of the CIT analysis showed that there are different weather patterns associated with avalanche releases depending on the season, and significant thresholds values were defined. In winter, the avalanche probability was greater when three-day snowfall total exceeded 10 cm. In spring, the avalanche probability was greater when cumulative melting degree-days were less than forty-six and when daily minimum air temperature was greater than 2°C. Moreover, cornice failures were found to be a major component of the avalanche dynamic in Tasiapik Valley, mainly because of the slope's morphology. They have also been the cause of the three largest volume and longest runout avalanches observed by cameras in this study, highlighting potential risks for local communities. The probability of observing cornice failures is enhanced on days when maximum air temperature is greater than −8°C in winter conditions, whereas in spring conditions it is enhanced by daily maximum air temperature greater than 2.5°C. This study represents a necessary first step toward avalanche forecasting based on weather data in Nunavik. Efforts should be continued given the expected higher frequency of natural ... |
author2 |
Centre d'Etudes Nordiques (CEN) Université Laval Québec (ULaval) Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique (LETG - Nantes ) Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique UMR 6554 (LETG) Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (Nantes Univ - IGARUN) Nantes Université - pôle Humanités Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université - pôle Humanités Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (Nantes Univ - IGARUN) Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ) OHMi NunavikIPEV DeSiGNNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) ANR-11-LABX-0010,DRIIHM / IRDHEI,Dispositif de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux(2011) |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Grenier, Jérémy Bhiry, Najat Decaulne, Armelle |
author_facet |
Grenier, Jérémy Bhiry, Najat Decaulne, Armelle |
author_sort |
Grenier, Jérémy |
title |
Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
title_short |
Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
title_full |
Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
title_fullStr |
Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
title_full_unstemmed |
Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik |
title_sort |
meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in tasiapik valley, umiujaq, nunavik |
publisher |
HAL CCSD |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
https://hal.science/hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282/document https://hal.science/hal-04080282/file/AAAR_20238_Grenier-et-al.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Umiujaq Nunavik |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Umiujaq Nunavik |
op_source |
ISSN: 1523-0430 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research https://hal.science/hal-04080282 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2023, 55 (1), pp.2194492. ⟨10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492⟩ |
op_relation |
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282/document https://hal.science/hal-04080282/file/AAAR_20238_Grenier-et-al.pdf doi:10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
55 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1799470859531845632 |
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ftunivrennes2hal:oai:HAL:hal-04080282v1 2024-05-19T07:32:42+00:00 Meteorological conditions and snow-avalanche occurrence over three snow seasons (2017–2020) in Tasiapik Valley, Umiujaq, Nunavik Grenier, Jérémy Bhiry, Najat Decaulne, Armelle Centre d'Etudes Nordiques (CEN) Université Laval Québec (ULaval) Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique (LETG - Nantes ) Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Littoral, Environnement, Télédétection, Géomatique UMR 6554 (LETG) Université de Brest (UBO)-Université de Rennes 2 (UR2)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (Nantes Univ - IGARUN) Nantes Université - pôle Humanités Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université - pôle Humanités Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Institut de Géographie et d'Aménagement Régional de l'Université de Nantes (Nantes Univ - IGARUN) Nantes Université (Nantes Univ)-Nantes Université (Nantes Univ) OHMi NunavikIPEV DeSiGNNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) ANR-11-LABX-0010,DRIIHM / IRDHEI,Dispositif de recherche interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux(2011) 2023 https://hal.science/hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282/document https://hal.science/hal-04080282/file/AAAR_20238_Grenier-et-al.pdf https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 en eng HAL CCSD University of Colorado at Boulder, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282 https://hal.science/hal-04080282/document https://hal.science/hal-04080282/file/AAAR_20238_Grenier-et-al.pdf doi:10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess ISSN: 1523-0430 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research https://hal.science/hal-04080282 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 2023, 55 (1), pp.2194492. ⟨10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492⟩ Time-lapse cameras snow avalanches weather data Nunavik [SDU.STU.ME]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences/Meteorology info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal articles 2023 ftunivrennes2hal https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2023.2194492 2024-04-24T00:39:53Z International audience In this article, we study snow avalanche activity during the snow seasons of 2017-2020 using four automatic time-lapse cameras strategically positioned along the southwestern slope of Tasiapik Valley, near the village of Umiujaq, in Nunavik (northern Québec, Canada). Over the three snow seasons, cameras helped to detect evidence of 130 avalanche events, scattered over seventy-eight distinct avalanche days. The evolution of weather conditions prior to each avalanche release was detailed according to data from a nearby weather station. Moreover, the time of release, the release type, the surface texture, and whether rocky material was present in the deposits were documented from the photographs. To explore relationships between weather data and avalanche releases, conditional inference tree (CIT) analysis was conducted. Results of the CIT analysis showed that there are different weather patterns associated with avalanche releases depending on the season, and significant thresholds values were defined. In winter, the avalanche probability was greater when three-day snowfall total exceeded 10 cm. In spring, the avalanche probability was greater when cumulative melting degree-days were less than forty-six and when daily minimum air temperature was greater than 2°C. Moreover, cornice failures were found to be a major component of the avalanche dynamic in Tasiapik Valley, mainly because of the slope's morphology. They have also been the cause of the three largest volume and longest runout avalanches observed by cameras in this study, highlighting potential risks for local communities. The probability of observing cornice failures is enhanced on days when maximum air temperature is greater than −8°C in winter conditions, whereas in spring conditions it is enhanced by daily maximum air temperature greater than 2.5°C. This study represents a necessary first step toward avalanche forecasting based on weather data in Nunavik. Efforts should be continued given the expected higher frequency of natural ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Umiujaq Nunavik Archive Ouverte de l'Université Rennes (HAL) Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 55 1 |