Mechanics and Snowpack Tests Copy

What are some ways we can gather information about the strength of a snowpack? Select all that apply.

Using the lettered photos below, match the avalanche with its likely trigger point.

Organize the following test results in order from most stable to least stable. Note: “L” refers to the number of “lemons.”

Of the results – which one do you think would be the most difficult to interpret?

For the pit shown below – rate strength, structure, propagation, and friction.

For those who are not used to reading pit profiles – here are some hints:

• Total depth is 72 cm and you get failure up 34 cm from the ground.
• You get failure below a slab with 1-finger + hardness  on a weak layer with 4-finger hardness.
• The weak layer extends from 34 cm down to the ground.
• The slab is composed of rounded grains about 0.5 mm in size.
• The weak layer is composed of rounding facets 1-2 mm in size.