How can accidents happen? An expert explains the basics.
Last month an avalanche on Mount Everest killed 13 Sherpas and left three missing.
But how do avalanches happen, and is there any way to survive? Eric Peitzsch, physical scientist for the U.S. Geological Survey, explains.
zgr_pro/zgr_pro
Ever see snow slide off of a car windshield?
That's basically a tiny avalanche.
tuchodi / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: tuchodi
Avalanches need a few simple ingredients, and forecasters try to monitor them using any bit of data they can get.
"We certainly can’t predict every single avalanche and where exactly it’s going to be," says Peitzsch. "If I could, I’d probably make a lot more money than I do."
anopdesignstock/anopdesignstock
The slab is the section of snow that's sliding, which breaks off at a weak layer.
The windshield is the terrain, which has to be steep enough for snow to slide. The trigger can be anything from a skier to more snow (or in your car's case, a sunny day).
Rick Cooper / Zach Dischner / Creative Commons / Via Flickr: randa / Flickr: zachd1_618
No comments:
Post a Comment