Swiss research finds cracks in the snowpack spread faster than expected

Cracks in the snowpack can race across the surface at more than 100 metres per second – far faster than theory suggests is possible. Experiments in Davos Platz, in eastern Switzerland, have revealed rupture speeds that even exceed the limits predicted by existing models. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The findings could help improve avalanche forecasting, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) said on Wednesday. The speed at which a crack spreads through the snowpack plays a key role in determining how big an avalanche can become. + Read how Switzerland tries to defeat extreme weather events The researchers believe that fast‑moving cracks are less likely to slow or stop, increasing the chance of larger avalanches. Gaining a better understanding of how these fractures develop could improve estimates of an avalanche’s potential size. According to the SLF, this matters both for setting danger levels in the avalanche bulletin and for ...