A new Swiss test-site for avalanche experiments has been built to study the overall dynamic behaviour of dense-flow and powder-snow avalanches and to measure avalanche impact forces along their path. The site began operation in 1997/1998 and is a milestone of avalanche dynamics research at the WSL-SLF.

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Wir erforschen kleinskalige granulare Flüsse im Labor. Unser Ziel ist es, die Dichte und interne Spannungen zu modellieren, die für das Fliessverhalten von Murgängen und Lawinen entscheidend sind.

Available languages: German

When Switzerland's athletes compete for medals at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, the SLF will be part of the team as well. Local snow and weather forecasts produced by the SLF will enable the team to prepare their competition skis in the best possible way.

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Die WSL entickelte und betreibt einen probabilistischen Hochwasservorhersagesystem für das voralpine Einzugsgebiet der Sihl. Hochwasserereignisse können anhand einer Reihe von täglich durchgeführten Vorhersagen frühzeitig erkannt werden.

Available languages: German

Snow cornices up to several meters high impressively show how strong the wind influences the snow cover in mountains. SLF investigates where the wind erodes and deposits snow and how the snow changes during transport through experiments in a wind tunnel and at the Weissfluhjoch Versuchsfeld.

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Im Projekt „Feststofftransport in Gebirgs-Einzugsgebieten“ soll ein Verfahren entwickelt werden, um eine mögliche Geschiebefracht abzuschätzen, welche bei einem 100-jährlichen Ereignis in einem Gebirgsfluss mobilisiert werden kann

Available languages: German

The iPhone and Android application “White Risk mobile” supports winter sports enthusiasts in planning and on tours away from secured ski areas. Current avalanche bulletins, snow maps, travel advice and background information are available any time. The free app download is available from the iTunes App Store and the Android Market.

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Within the framework of an international research project, the SLF and its German and Austrian partners are using a radar system to conduct a non-destructive investigation of the snowpack from underneath. The goal is to observe the individual layers of the snowpack and their properties and change over time.

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Various accidents have shown that rescuers can be endangered in the aftermath of avalanche accidents. For this reason, the SLF has responded to an initiative of ICAR (the International Commission for Alpine Rescue) by joining forces with various partners to produce a Rescue Compass for professional rescuers – a weatherproof manual together with a checklist in the form of a dial. It is a practical risk management tool for use in the field.

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Avalanche researchers at the SLF investigate how snow avalanches flow to answer important questions – how fast avalanches flow, how far they flow and what forces they exert on buildings and other objects. Mathematical models are used to calculate velocity, runout distances and impact pressures. SLF researchers have recently proposed a more inclusive mathematical model that can model avalanches of different size and flow type.