TY - CHAP A1 - Christen, Marc A1 - Bartelt, Perry A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Stoffel, Lukus T1 - Calculation of dense snow avalanches in three-dimensional terrain with the numerical simulation programm RAMMS T2 - Proceedings ISSW 2008 ; International Snow Science Workshop. Whistler 2008 N2 - Numerical models have become an essential part of snow avalanche engineering. Recent advances in understanding the rheology of flowing snow and the mechanics of entrainment and deposition have made numerical models more reliable. Coupled with field observations and historical records, they are especially helpful in understanding avalanche flow in complex terrain. However, the application of numerical models poses several new challenges to avalanche engineers. A detailed understanding of the avalanche phenomena is required to specify initial conditions (release zone dimensions and snowcover entrainment rates) as well as the friction parameters, which are no longer based on empirical back-calculations, rather terrain roughness, vegetation and snow properties. In this paper we discuss these problems by presenting the computer model RAMMS, which was specially designed by the SLF as a practical tool for avalanche engineers. RAMMS solves the depth-averaged equations governing avalanche flow with first and second-order numerical solution schemes. A tremendous effort has been invested in the implementation of advanced input and output features. Simulation results are therefore clearly and easily visualized to simplify their interpretation. More importantly, RAMMS has been applied to a series of well-documented avalanches to gauge model performance. In this paper we present the governing differential equations, highlight some of the input and output features of RAMMS and then discuss the simulation of the Gatschiefer avalanche that occurred in April 2008, near Klosters/Monbiel, Switzerland. KW - snow KW - avalanche Y1 - 2008 SP - 709 EP - 716 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - McArdell, Brian W. A1 - Bartelt, Perry A1 - Kowalski, Julia T1 - Field observations of basal forces and fluid pore pressure in a debris flow JF - Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) N2 - Using results from an 8 m2 instrumented force plate we describe field measurements of normal and shear stresses, and fluid pore pressure for a debris flow. The flow depth increased from 0.1 to 1 m within the first 12 s of flow front arrival, remained relatively constant until 100 s, and then gradually decreased to 0.5 m by 600 s. Normal and shear stresses and pore fluid pressure varied in-phase with the flow depth. Calculated bulk densities are ρb = 2000–2250 kg m−3 for the bulk flow and ρf = 1600–1750 kg m−3 for the fluid phase. The ratio of effective normal stress to shear stress yields a Coulomb basal friction angle of ϕ = 26° at the flow front. We did not find a strong correlation between the degree of agitation in the flow, estimated using the signal from a geophone on the force plate, and an assumed dynamic pore fluid pressure. Our data support the idea that excess pore-fluid pressures are long lived in debris flows and therefore contribute to their unusual mobility. KW - debris flow Y1 - 2007 SN - 0094-8276 VL - 34 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bühler, Yves A1 - Christen, Marc A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Bartelt, Perry T1 - Sensitivity of snow avalanche simulations to digital elevation model quality and resolution JF - Annals of Glaciology N2 - Digital elevation models (DEMs), represent the three-dimensional terrain and are the basic input for numerical snow avalanche dynamics simulations. DEMs can be acquired using topographic maps or remote-sensing technologies, such as photogrammetry or lidar. Depending on the acquisition technique, different spatial resolutions and qualities are achieved. However, there is a lack of studies that investigate the sensitivity of snow avalanche simulation algorithms to the quality and resolution of DEMs. Here, we perform calculations using the numerical avalance dynamics model RAMMS, varying the quality and spatial resolution of the underlying DEMs, while holding the simulation parameters constant. We study both channelized and open-terrain avalanche tracks with variable roughness. To quantify the variance of these simulations, we use well-documented large-scale avalanche events from Davos, Switzerland (winter 2007/08), and from our large-scale avalanche test site, Valĺee de la Sionne (winter 2005/06). We find that the DEM resolution and quality is critical for modeled flow paths, run-out distances, deposits, velocities and impact pressures. Although a spatial resolution of ~25 m is sufficient for large-scale avalanche modeling, the DEM datasets must be checked carefully for anomalies and artifacts before using them for dynamics calculations. KW - snow KW - avalanche Y1 - 2011 SN - 1727-5644 VL - 52 IS - 58 SP - 72 EP - 80 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - McArdell, B. W. A1 - Bartelt, Perry T1 - A comparison of two approaches to modeling multiphase gravity currents T2 - Geophysical Research Abstracts Y1 - 2006 N1 - A-08738 VL - 8 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Bartelt, Perry A1 - McElwaine, J. T1 - Two-phase debris flow modeling T2 - Geophysical Research Abstracts Y1 - 2007 N1 - A-08119 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Christen, Marc A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Bartelt, Perry T1 - RAMMS: Numerical simulation of dense snow avalanches in three-dimensional terrain JF - Cold Regions Science and Technology N2 - Numerical avalanche dynamics models have become an essential part of snow engineering. Coupled with field observations and historical records, they are especially helpful in understanding avalanche flow in complex terrain. However, their application poses several new challenges to avalanche engineers. A detailed understanding of the avalanche phenomena is required to construct hazard scenarios which involve the careful specification of initial conditions (release zone location and dimensions) and definition of appropriate friction parameters. The interpretation of simulation results requires an understanding of the numerical solution schemes and easy to use visualization tools. We discuss these problems by presenting the computer model RAMMS, which was specially designed by the SLF as a practical tool for avalanche engineers. RAMMS solves the depth-averaged equations governing avalanche flow with accurate second-order numerical solution schemes. The model allows the specification of multiple release zones in three-dimensional terrain. Snow cover entrainment is considered. Furthermore, two different flow rheologies can be applied: the standard Voellmy–Salm (VS) approach or a random kinetic energy (RKE) model, which accounts for the random motion and inelastic interaction between snow granules. We present the governing differential equations, highlight some of the input and output features of RAMMS and then apply the models with entrainment to simulate two well-documented avalanche events recorded at the Vallée de la Sionne test site. KW - RAMMS KW - snow KW - avalanche Y1 - 2010 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2010.04.005 SN - 1872-7441 VL - 63 IS - 1-2 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Christen, Marc A1 - Bartelt, Perry A1 - Kowalski, Julia T1 - Back calculation of the In den Arelen avalanche with RAMMS: Interpretation of model results JF - Annals of Glaciology N2 - Two- and three-dimensional avalanche dynamics models are being increasingly used in hazard-mitigation studies. These models can provide improved and more accurate results for hazard mapping than the simple one-dimensional models presently used in practice. However, two- and three-dimensional models generate an extensive amount of output data, making the interpretation of simulation results more difficult. To perform a simulation in three-dimensional terrain, numerical models require a digital elevation model, specification of avalanche release areas (spatial extent and volume), selection of solution methods, finding an adequate calculation resolution and, finally, the choice of friction parameters. In this paper, the importance and difficulty of correctly setting up and analysing the results of a numerical avalanche dynamics simulation is discussed. We apply the two-dimensional simulation program RAMMS to the 1968 extreme avalanche event In den Arelen. We show the effect of model input variations on simulation results and the dangers and complexities in their interpretation. KW - avalanche Y1 - 2010 SN - 1727-5644 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3189/172756410791386553 VL - 51 IS - 54 SP - 161 EP - 168 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER -