Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection

The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) announced on Tuesday that it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device, named ‘Snowimager’, to enhance avalanche warnings. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox While avalanche wardens often rely on time-consuming measurements of the snow cover, this new device examines the boundaries between different layers of snow in the snowpack. +Avalanches: looming danger in the Swiss Alps According to the SLF, the device speeds up and standardises this process. It has the potential to replace traditional, manual snow profiles in the long term. Snow layers vary in density and the type of snow crystals. Their boundaries and composition are crucial for avalanche warning services to identify weak layers, which can break spontaneously or under pressure, such as from a skier. The density of the snow cover is also crucial for issuing timely flood warnings. +Young skier dies in avalanche in Swiss Alps ...