Satpaev Kazakh National Technical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan:

K. A. Ystykul, Candidate for a Doctor’s Degree

Zh. D. Baigurin, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technologies, Novosibirsk, Russia:
V. A. Seredovich, Prorector, Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, v.seredovich@list.ru

North-Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Vladikavkaz, Russia:
A. L. Kortiev, Senior Lecturer

A mountainous country often accommodates industry and recreation (tourism, health resort, holiday cottages, winter sports resorts, etc.). The highlands and infrastructure are subjected to avalanche hazard in winter. The relevant protection to be worked out requires exact data on morphology of avalanche slopes in order to perform modeling using the avalanche theory with a view to predict time and scale of imminent danger. The wanted data are possible to obtain from laser scanning of the terrain. Features of a terrain (true and relative altitudes, slope gradient, etc.) influence nearly all aspects of avalanching. The ground-based laser scanning technology enjoys wide application in highlands in foreign countries. The ground surface scanning procedure has been trialed at an avalanche source in the Ile Alatau Mountains, Kazakhstan. The method efficiency is proved, and the obtained data can be used to develop treatment of avalanche process and to design protective structures. Additional sources of avalanche information were high-speed photography of avalance on mountainous slope at the Stanovoi range, North Caucasus, Russia. As a result, avalanchehazardous zone has been sized up, and industrial and civil infrastructure can be placed beyond this zone boundaries. An accurate model of avalanche channel topography allows determining such avalanch parametrs as height, cross section area, volume and, given certain conditions, velocity. Surveying avalanche channels immediately after avalanching makes it possible to estimate avalanche height from traces on the channel walls, from broken snow cover and traces of avalanche snow on trees. With the digital model of avalanche channel available, lateral section of the channel is plotted in areas with observable avalanche marks. The avalanching boundaries are readily transferred onto this lateral section plot. This can be done afield or based on images. Then, the avalanche height is determined from the difference of heights of the channel bottom and the maximum height of avalanche marks on the channel walls. The cross section area of avalanche is assessed from the area of polygon between the upper boundary of avalanche and the channel surface. Such measurements taken in the area of avalanche snow deposition allow finding avalanche volume.

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