Avalanche safety rules. Avalanche safety of tourists and climbers: precautions and rules of conduct during an avalanche. Protection against snow drifts, snowstorms, blizzards, avalanches

Many dangers lie in wait for climbers, snowboarders and skiers. But the most inexorable and unpredictable of them is snow avalanches. What are they like? Below is a detailed classification of avalanches.

According to Tushinsky

Back in 1949, Professor Georgy Tushinsky proposed a typology of snow avalanches based on differences in the specifics of the movement paths.

The geographer divided the types of snow masses descending from the mountains into:

1. Tray. They move along a strictly fixed vector from glacial troughs, as well as from funnels formed as a result of the destruction of rocks.
2. Basics. When a gap forms in the layer of snow and part of the mass slides down a flat slope, on which there are no erosion cuts or furrows.
3. Jumping. There are sheer cliffs on the way of the site, from which the snow slides into free fall.

By the nature of the movement and the structure of the mass

A dust avalanche is formed from dry snow. In the process of movement, the structure of the mass is destroyed and creates a cloud of snow dust. The speed of snow avalanches of this type can reach 250 km/h. It is the most dangerous and destructive.

The same classification of avalanches established the presence of so-called "snow slabs". They are formed from a layer of fine-grained dry snow with a density of up to 400 kg per cubic meter, under which there is a less dense snow mass. Hollow areas are formed under the plates, which destroy the top layer and provoke its subsidence.

When the imbalance reaches a critical point, a stepped separation line is formed, perpendicular to the surface of the mass, and collapse occurs over a large area, the speed of which can reach 200 km / h.

There is also an "avalanche from a point." It is formed from wet snow in the form of a huge drop coming off a rocky ledge. This is due to the heating of the rocks, as a result of which the lower layer of the mass is fed with moisture, becomes heavier and begins to shift. Most snow avalanches of this type can be observed in spring. The speed of their movement does not exceed 120 km / h.

In the summer season, hydro-driven avalanches often appear, in which masses move that resemble mudflows in composition: they contain a mixture of stones, water, soil and snow.

Due to the occurrence

According to this criterion, in 1984 V. Akkuratova proposed the following typology:

• snow avalanches

They are formed from the redistribution of the upper layer due to mass transfer during a snowstorm. Accumulations of snow grains carried by the wind are deposited in the depressions of the relief. The rate of formation of a snowstorm layer depends on the structure of the relief, as well as on the speed of the snowstorm.

• advection

They are formed as a result of water infiltration into the layer of snow, due to which its structure is destroyed and the lower layer thaws and the bonds between dense accumulations of snowflakes break.

• Avalanches from dry "young" snow

In the process of intense snowfall, a fresh layer is formed on the surface of the mass, consisting of crystals with a density of not more than 200 kg per 1 cubic meter.

The stability of this structure depends on the strength of adhesion, as well as on the area of ​​contact with the "old" layer and on the rate of accumulation of dry crystals.

• Avalanches due to metamorphism

Due to the deformation of the structure of ice particles and the bonds between them, snow recrystallization occurs, as a result of which loose layers appear in the upper cover. This leads to an avalanche.

• Insolation

Snow absorbs solar energy, under the influence of which it begins to move. The movement speed is relatively low.

• mixed

The movement of snow masses occurs due to an increase in air temperature with the simultaneous accumulation of solar energy in the thickness of the snow.

• Avalanches triggered by snow compression

They are formed as a result of overvoltages arising from an increase in the density of snow masses caused by a strong decrease in air temperature.

Classifications by strength and level of danger

According to the volume and approximate weight of the moving layer, avalanches can be divided into five varieties:

1. A catastrophe capable of destroying a settlement or having a destructive effect on a vast forest area (more than 4,000 km²);
2. Sliding of minor accumulations of snow that are not capable of harming a person;
3. An avalanche that can destroy an area of ​​forest up to 4,000 km², as well as cause damage to buildings, vehicles and equipment;
4. A slight shift in the snow mass that can harm a person;
5. A medium-sized avalanche capable of breaking trees, damaging vehicles and buildings.

If we talk directly about the danger of an avalanche for a person, then it is customary to evaluate it on a 5-point scale:

The danger is minor. There is a minimal chance of snowfall, but in general the surface is dense and stable. Conditions for holding events are quite reliable.

The formation of an avalanche is possible only in critical areas of the relief, subject to additional pressure on the slope by the movement of several athletes along it. In quiet areas, slopes up to 50 degrees can be loaded. It is advisable not to lay routes through problem areas with an inclination angle of more than 45 degrees.

Average level of danger. At some points on the slope, there is a decrease in density and slight destabilization. On steep terrain, the risk of an avalanche is increased. Spontaneous shift of snow masses is unlikely.

Events are allowed if the organizers take into account the structure of the relief and the peculiarities of the conditions at the sites. It is allowed to stress normal slopes with an angle of up to 40 degrees. On areas with problematic relief, loads at an angle of up to 35 degrees are permissible.

Increased danger. On most slopes, snow masses are unstable and have a loose structure. The probability of an avalanche formation is high. The most dangerous points are steep slopes. Spontaneous descent of several avalanches of medium strength and single descents of large volumes of snow are expected. Events are allowed, but only if their participants are only experienced athletes with sufficient knowledge of avalanche science, familiar with the geography of the region, and not planning to go to high-risk areas. On most routes, the movement of groups of athletes is prohibited. Permissible load on slopes forming an angle of up to 35° in normal areas and up to 30° in hazardous areas.

The snow cover is not compacted and unstable in the vast majority of areas. The probability of an avalanche coming down is high even with a slight load on the slope surface. The movement of groups of athletes is prohibited. Only single events are allowed.

Access to the route is allowed only for professional athletes who are perfectly familiar with the geography of the area, who have impeccable knowledge of avalanche science and good intuition, who are ready to return to the base at the slightest suspicion. Loading in normal and potentially hazardous areas is allowed on slopes up to 25° and 20° respectively.

catastrophic danger. Snow masses are mobile and unpredictable. Events are strictly prohibited. Avalanches of large volumes are coming down on all slopes, regardless of the degree of inclination.

Dictionary of foreign words, "avalanche" - masses of snow, snow blocks falling from the mountains. The word is borrowed from the German language (lawine). The German word "lawine" is derived from the Latin. labīna, "collapse".

Avalanches pose a great danger to people, causing human casualties. Most often, climbers, those who are engaged in mountain skiing and snowboarding, fall under avalanches.

Avalanche as a natural phenomenon

Avalanches are a hazard in mountainous areas both in Russia and around the world. There are four avalanche-forming factors: snow, terrain, weather, and vegetation.

Snow. With each new snow layer accumulates, layer by layer. The structure of the layers changes throughout the winter. When the impact on the snow cover is greater than the adhesion of snow, there is a threat of imbalance and the formation of an avalanche.

Relief. The steepness of the slope, the configuration of the slope, its unevenness and exposure of the slope play an important role in the terrain. It should be borne in mind that traveling along the bottom of the valley can also be dangerous. In such cases, there remains the risk of being captured by an avalanche that has descended from the upper slopes. Avalanches can occur not only in clearly defined foci.

Weather. Most avalanches occur during or immediately after snowfalls. This is due to the fact that the formed snow mass cannot withstand the new snow that has fallen in significant quantities. The faster the snow builds up, the sooner the snowpack will respond to the extra weight. The temperature also affects the thickness of the snow. The warmer the snow, the faster the changes in the snow mass occur.

Vegetation. Vegetation is a good tool for determining avalanche danger. For example, a dense coniferous forest is a sign of the absence of avalanches. When an avalanche comes down, it destroys trees and other vegetation and affects the change in plant species.

Avalanche classification

There are several classifications of avalanches. One of the most famous is the classification according to G.K. Tushinsky. (1949). It identifies 7 types of avalanches according to snow formation and avalanche movement:
Wasps - landslides over the entire surface of the slope.
Tray avalanches - an avalanche moves along the natural base of hollows, couloir, etc.
Jumping avalanches - on the way of such there are obstacles, upon collision with which avalanches bounce and fly part of their way.

Moreover, each of the above types of avalanches also depends on the condition of the snow. For each type of avalanche, three states are considered:
From dry snow, a dust avalanche - when it moves, fragments of a snow layer can collapse and form a dust cloud.
From dry snow, snow, such avalanches occur when an ice crust forms on the surface of a snow layer.
From wet and wet snow, an avalanche "from a point" is characterized by a drop-shaped beginning.
Super wet avalanches.
In addition to the classification of G.K. Tushinsky, there are classifications according to V.N. Akkuratov, according to V.V. Dzyube and the international morphological classification of avalanches.
In Europe, there is a classification system for avalanche hazard levels, according to which the risk of an avalanche can be from one to five:
Level 1 - low risk
Level 2 - Limited
Level 3 - Intermediate
Level 4 - high
Level 5 is very high.

How to act in case of an avalanche danger zone

During an avalanche. If the avalanche breaks high, you need to get out of the way of the avalanche as soon as possible or take cover behind a rock ledge. In no case should you hide behind young trees. If it is impossible to get away from the avalanche, it is necessary to get rid of things, take a horizontal position, press your knees to your stomach and position yourself in the direction of the avalanche.

During an avalanche. Close your nose and mouth with a glove or scarf, continue to move, as if swimming in an avalanche and trying to stay on its surface and move to the edge, because. edge speed is lower. When the avalanche has already stopped, it is necessary to create space near the face and chest, in which case it will be possible to breathe. If possible, it is worth moving towards the top. Under no circumstances should you shout. The snow will absorb all sounds, and there will be less strength and oxygen. You can’t fall asleep, because in a dream there is a risk of freezing and dying.

After the avalanche. It is necessary to report an avalanche in the nearest settlement so that the search for victims can begin.

Avalanches. Every year, many people die under them, either because they neglect the danger, or because little is known about avalanches.

Many of us do not take the threat of avalanches seriously until someone is killed or injured in one. The sad fact is that people caught in an avalanche usually provoke them themselves. Skiers cut slopes, climbers go during avalanche times. Moreover, the victims are often professionals in their field, but neglect the avalanche danger. This article provides basic knowledge about avalanches.

Avalanches.

Potential Threats

An avalanche can move at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour. Such a force can smear you against trees and stones, grind you against rocks, make porridge from your insides and pierce you with your own skis or snowboard. About one third of all avalanche victims die due to injuries.

If you have not been injured by an avalanche, you will have to struggle with a mass of snow, the density of concrete, which squeezes your body. The avalanche, which began as snow dust, heats up as it moves downhill from friction on the slope, thaws a little and then freezes tightly around your body. All this mass is enough to squeeze all the air out of your lungs.

If you manage to create an air pocket around you before the snow settles, you have a good chance of surviving. If you and your friends have an avalanche transmitter and know how to use it, then the chances of survival are even greater. However, this is where the race against time begins. Most people are not able to survive under an avalanche for more than 30 minutes (Black Diamond AvaLung backpacks can increase this time to one hour), so it makes sense to buy and learn how to use avalanche transmitters. For lovers of winter freeride, a necessary thing. About 70% of avalanche victims die from suffocation.

The best defense against avalanches is, of course, knowledge of avalanche conditions and slopes, as well as avoiding dangerous situations.

Loose avalanches.

Such avalanches form when there is little or no adhesion to the snow cover. As a rule, such avalanches begin from one point either on the slope surface or close to it. Such avalanches gain a large snow mass and momentum while moving down the slope, often forming a triangular path behind them. The causes of such avalanches may be blocks of snow falling on the slope from the rocks above or melting snow cover.

Such avalanches occur on dry and wet snow, descend both in winter and in summer. Winter loose avalanches usually occur during or after a snowfall. In the warmer season, wet loose avalanches are caused by snow or melt water. These avalanches are dangerous both in winter and in summer.

Plastic avalanches.

These avalanches are much more dangerous. Sheet avalanches form when a single layer of snow slides off the bottom layer and rushes down a slope. Most freeriders get into such avalanches.

They are caused by snowfalls and strong winds that deposit layers of snow that change over time. Some layers are deposited and held together, while others, on the contrary, are weakened. Weak layers are often granular or composed of very light snow (powder) so that other layers cannot adhere to them.

An avalanche occurs when the top layer, called the "board," is not sufficiently bonded to the underlying layer and is set in motion by some external agent, usually a skier or climber. Unlike unconsolidated avalanches, which start from a single point, sheet avalanches grow deeper and wider, usually along a break line at the top of a slope.

Avalanche release on Cheget:

Factors contributing to the descent of avalanches.

Locality.

Slope steepness: pay attention to the steepness of the slope when you ride or climb. Avalanches often occur on slopes steep in 30-45 degrees.

Slope side: in winter, the southern slopes are much more stable than the northern slopes, as the Sun heats and compacts the snow. Unstable layers of "deep frost", dry, icy snow that does not adhere to adjacent layers, are most often found on the northern slopes. So be careful when you see the tempting northern slope with excellent powder, for they are more dangerous than the southern slopes, since they do not receive enough solar heat to compact the snow over the winter. At the same time, in spring and summer, the southern slopes melt more strongly, which leads to dangerous wet avalanches. The warmer weather this time of year hardens the snow on the northern slopes, making them safer.

Terrain Threats: Snow cover is most often unstable on convex slopes, rock ledges, boulders or trees where the snow cover is interrupted, on lee slopes or under eaves. It is best to bypass bowls, circuses and pits, where snow can accumulate after an avalanche (avalanche discharges). Steep, narrow couloirs (or ravines) usually accumulate a lot of snow and pose a great danger to hikers and skiers caught in them. Often, there is no escape from such places, due to the steep side slopes, so that in the event of an avalanche, there is nowhere to run.

Weather

Precipitation: snow is least stable after snowfalls or rains. A large amount of snow falling in a short period of time is a sign of avalanche danger. Heavy snowfall, especially wet or dense snow falling on powder, forms unstable layers in the snowpack. Rain seeps in and heats the bottom layers of the snowpack and also reduces friction between the layers, making them less stable. After a heavy snowfall, you need to wait at least two days before going to avalanche areas.

Wind: Another indicator of snow cover instability is wind. Often, strong winds carry surface snow from one slope to another part of the ridge, where the snow descends to form an avalanche. Pay attention to the intensity and direction of the wind during the day.

Temperature: a large number of problems with snow cover are caused by temperature fluctuations. The formation of snow crystals can change in the case of temperature differences between the surface and overlying layers, different layers in the center of the cover, and even between the air temperature and the upper snow layer. A particularly dangerous snow crystal, due to its inability to bond with other crystals, is "hoarfrost".

Deep frost ("sugar snow"), due to its similarity to granulated sugar, can be located at any depth or several depths of deep snow cover. Often a sharp increase in temperature leads to wet avalanches, especially in spring, so be careful when it gets warm in the mountains.

Snow cover

Snowfalls come one after another throughout the winter. Temperature changes cause metamorphoses of snow crystals. If the composition of the snow remains the same, then the snow cover is uniform and stable. Snow becomes dangerous and unstable when layers of different snow form inside the snow cover. To every freerider it is essential to check snow layers for stability, especially on slopes of 30-45 degrees.

How to test a slope for avalanche risk:

Human factor

While terrain, weather, and snow cover play a big role in triggering avalanches, it's important to remember that selfishness, emotions, and herd mentality can seriously cloud your mind and lead you to make rash decisions. In fact, according to a recent Canadian avalanche survey, those surveyed cited 'human error' and 'poor site selection' as the main causes of accidents caused by avalanches. Most avalanches are caused by humans!

Common mistakes in decision making:

• Familiar places: it is most likely that you will take risks in a place you are familiar with. Conditions, however, can change from minute to minute, so treat any area as if you were seeing it for the first time.
• OK: encouragement from the group can put a lot of pressure on you. "Yes, everything will be fine, relax!". Even if you feel something is wrong, you may be taking unnecessary risks to please the group.
• Reach the place at any cost: if you want too much to get to your destination, you can act against your common sense and ignore the signs of danger, concentrating only on your goals. Foreign climbers call this phenomenon "summit fever".
• "We have an expert": you imply that there is someone else in your group with more experience than you. You think you are, based on the fact that this person was in this place before you or he underwent some kind of special training. Better to ask than to guess.
• Existing trails: you can feel safe because you see a trodden path ahead of you. In our mountains, once I walked along a seemingly excellent path, but I felt that the slope under the path was not very reliable. Just because someone else has been here before you doesn't mean it's safe to walk around.
• "Virgin Fever": You can turn a blind eye to signs of avalanche danger when you have fresh, deep, and untouched snow in front of you. Don't be tempted!
• "Others have passed!": it is very easy to give in to the "herd instinct" and head off onto a dangerous slope when other people have already passed in front of you. Always assess the situation as if you were alone. Tell me if you feel something is wrong.

Snow avalanches - landslides of masses of snow from the slopes. They are formed as a result of a violation of stability under the influence of internal processes occurring in it and external influences.

The occurrence of avalanches is possible on slopes with a steepness of more than 15° and with a snow cover thickness of more than 30 cm. from rooftops.

Areas in which the collapse of avalanches occurs regularly occupy more than 18% of the territory within Russia. Another 5% of the country's area are potentially dangerous zones, where the relief is favorable for avalanche formation, and in the event of the destruction of wood - natural protection against avalanches, or with an increase in the amount of solid precipitation - snow masses from the slopes will be possible to collapse. Significant differences in and on the territory of Russia lead to the fact that the avalanche regime here is more diverse than in any other.

In the high-mountainous regions of the Caucasus, Altai, and the peninsula, where sharply pronounced landforms with sharp peaks and jagged ridges are typical, avalanches form mainly in cirques, cirques, and complex denudation funnels with a rocky surface. The area of ​​such avalanche flows can reach 250–300 ha, and their relative height is 1000–1500 m. The density of the avalanche network here is 8–15 avalanche flows per 1 linear kilometer of the valley bottom. The number of avalanche flows decreases with an increase in the relative height of the slopes, but their area, on the contrary, increases. In the low mountains, the share of avalanche collections - carts and cirques most often does not exceed 1%, but their area is quite large - in the Polar and Subpolar Urals they occupy up to 12% of the total area of ​​avalanche collections.

In the middle and low mountains, denudation funnels and erosion incisions predominate. Thus, about 80% of all avalanche collections are denudation funnels with an average area of ​​6–8 ha. On the Udokan Ridge, 45% of avalanche collections are erosion incisions and denudation funnels with an area of ​​0.5–50 ha, and 25% are multi-chamber denudation funnels with an area of ​​up to 250–300 ha.

Avalanche formation often occurs on undivided slopes. Avalanche collections of this type make up about 40% of the total on the Kolyma Highlands with an average area of ​​about 10 ha and a maximum area of ​​more than 120 ha, 30% - on the Udokan Ridge. The width of such slopes can exceed 3500 m, and the fall height is 500 m.
In the mid-mountain regions of Western Altai, on the western and northwestern slopes, the density of the avalanche collection network is 5–10 per 1 linear kilometer. For most of the middle mountains, the density of the network is 1–5 per 1 linear kilometer.

In the low mountains, the density of avalanche flows most often does not exceed 1 per 1 linear kilometer of the valley floor. This value is typical for 40% of the avalanche-prone territory of the Caucasus.
On sea terraces, avalanches come down as a result of the collapse of snow cornices in gutters and on even slopes 20–200 m above sea level.

The lower altitudinal boundary of the distribution of avalanches rises to the south and to the inland regions. Right into the sea, avalanches collapse from terraces on the coast of the islands, the Far East. And on the northern macroslope, the lower limit of avalanches rises from 550–1250 m above sea level in the Western Caucasus to 1100–1300 m in the Central Caucasus and up to 900–1500 m in the Eastern Caucasus.

Avalanches are possible already at the first snowfalls and before the disappearance of the snow cover throughout almost the entire period of its occurrence. In the glacial belt, snowfall can occur all year round.

Most avalanches descend during or shortly after the end of snowfalls: in the Caucasus - this is 75% of all avalanches, in - more than 60%. Snowfalls with an increment of more than 30–40 cm are, as a rule, accompanied by massive catastrophic avalanches in a wide range of heights and orientations. In the highlands and in coastal areas, the role of avalanche formation increases. Snowfalls are associated with the first peak of avalanche activity, observed in most mountainous regions in December - January. The second peak of avalanche activity is observed during the spring snowmelt during wet avalanches. In inland regions, there are frequent cases of avalanche collapses caused by the weakening of bonds within the snow mass.

Every year, the number of days with avalanches is: in the Caucasus (Elbrus region), the Subpolar and Northern Urals, in the Khibiny - 30-40, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, on Sakhalin Island - 20-30, in the North-East of the Asian part of Russia, in, in Transbaikalia - 10–20. In various mountainous areas, in avalanche areas located favorably in relation to the prevailing winds, more than 20 avalanches can descend during the winter. Most often, avalanche collection “works” no more than once in the winter. The frequency of occurrence of avalanches reaching far to the bottom of the main valley can be 1 time in 50 or more years.

Most often, the volumes of avalanches do not exceed several thousand m3. The maximum volumes of recorded avalanches are: in the Caucasus - 5.9 million m3, in Altai and Sakhalin Island - 1.4 million m3, in the Khibiny - 1.125 million m3, on the Kamchatka Peninsula - more than 1 million m3. At the same time, in the North-East of the Asian part of Russia, in the Urals, they reach no more than 100 thousand m3, in the Byrranga mountains - 10 thousand m3. According to the Avalanche Cadastre, the maximum total run length for catastrophic avalanches is: in Altai - 2500 m, in Transbaikalia - 2220 m, on Sakhalin Island - 2500 m.

About 6 million people live in Russia on the territory where avalanches occur or are possible. 8 cities of the country and many other settlements are under direct threat. Only in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky there are more than 90 avalanche sites within the city. In another 36 cities there is a danger to communications. Snow mass collapses occur in recreation areas of the population of regional centers - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and. Avalanches hit the ski slopes, Dombai, Krasnaya Polyana, Khibiny. Routes of tourists and climbers pass through avalanche zones. Regularly, due to snow avalanches, traffic is disrupted on the Transcaucasian highway, the Krasnoyarsk-Kyzyl highway, the Kolyma highway and many other roads in different parts of the country. There are avalanche-prone areas on the Novokuznetsk-Abakan railways, on the BAM route, on Sakhalin Island. Power lines, oil and gas pipelines pass in the zone of action of avalanches.

More than 20 people die in avalanches every year in Russia. Cases of people dying in avalanches were noted in almost all mountainous regions of the country, as well as in flat areas - in, near Novosibirsk.

In order to protect the population and economic facilities, a whole range of anti-avalanche measures is used. Scientific and practical research in avalanche-prone areas is carried out by Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosov, a number of academic and departmental institutions. As part of the Hydrometeorological Service, there are prognostic units and observation avalanche stations. The shelling of avalanche-prone slopes is carried out by anti-avalanche paramilitary services. The first protective engineering structures - galleries and walls - appeared in the middle of the 19th century on the Georgian Military Highway. With the appropriate organization of work, the effectiveness of anti-avalanche measures is high - in the Khibiny, as a result of warning descents, more than 25% of the total number of registered avalanches descends.

In the early 1990s, the quantity and quality of avalanche observations decreased significantly, and there was a serious lag behind many countries in the study of this dangerous natural phenomenon. The development of mountain territories (construction of structures, recreational development) is carried out without due regard for avalanche danger, which ultimately can lead to an increase in avalanche disasters.

Avalanche - a rapid, sudden movement of snow and (or) ice down the steep slopes of mountains, posing a threat to human life and health, causing damage to economic facilities and the environment. Avalanches form on treeless mountain slopes, the slope of which is greater than 14°. This is a critical slope at which the snow constantly slides down. An avalanche begins when the layer of freshly fallen snow is 30 cm or when the thickness of the old snow is more than 70 cm. The steepness of the slope, most favorable for the formation of an avalanche, is 30-40 °.

Avalanche speed can reach from 20 to 100 m/s. Thus, an avalanche is a mass of snow falling or sliding off the steep slopes of mountains and moving at an average speed of 20-30 m/s. The fall of a snow avalanche is accompanied by the formation of an air pre-avalanche wave, which produces the greatest destruction.

The formation of an avalanche layer

The occurrence of avalanches is possible in all mountainous areas where snow cover is established. Avalanche-prone regions in Russia are the Kola Peninsula, the Urals, the North Caucasus, Eastern and Western Siberia, and the Far East.

The formation of avalanches occurs in the avalanche focus, which is a section of the slope and its foot, within which the avalanche moves.

Avalanches are caused by prolonged snowfalls, intense snowmelt, and explosions during road construction.

After heavy snowfalls in the mountains, there is a threat of avalanches. Warning about this with the help of special signs.

The impact force of a descending avalanche can reach from 5 to 50 tons per square meter. Descending avalanches can cause the destruction of buildings, engineering structures, cover roads and mountain paths with snow. Residents of mountain villages, tourists, climbers, geologists and other people who find themselves in the mountains and are captured by an avalanche can be injured and find themselves under a layer of snow.

Protection of the population from the consequences of avalanches

Of great importance for protecting the population from the consequences of snow avalanches is their forecasting. There is a special monitoring system for this.

The data received from the surveillance system is processed and presented as forecasts.

Based on the forecasts received, preventive measures are planned and implemented,

In conditions of the threat of avalanches, they organize control over the accumulation of snow in avalanche-prone directions, cause artificial descent of emerging avalanches during their period of least danger.

Protective structures are being built in avalanche-prone directions, rescue equipment is being prepared and rescue work is being planned. The population is being warned about the danger of avalanches.

Means to prevent an avalanche

Rules of conduct for avalanche zones

Let's consider the recommendations of specialists of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, developed for the population living in avalanche zones. Follow the basic rules of behavior in avalanche areas: do not go to the mountains in snowfall and bad weather; being in the mountains, watch the weather change; when going out into the mountains, know the places of possible avalanches in the area of ​​your path.

Rules of conduct in avalanche zones: 1 - in case of danger of an avalanche, listen to radio messages; 2 - if you find yourself in the mountains during an avalanche, try to escape from it; 3 - try to hide behind a rock ledge; 4 - once in the snow mass, make “swimming” movements with your hands

Information about avalanches can be found in the search and rescue service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. And if you are going to be in an avalanche zone, report your intentions (register) to the search and rescue service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

Avoid areas where avalanches may occur. They most often descend from slopes with a steepness of more than 30 °; if the slope is without shrubs and trees - with a steepness of more than 20 °. With a steepness of more than 45 °, avalanches come down almost every snowfall.

Remember

The most dangerous period of avalanches is spring and summer from 10 am to sunset!

When an avalanche comes down, if there is a decent distance from you to it, you need to quickly leave the path of the avalanche to a safe place or take cover behind a rock ledge, in a recess.

If it is impossible to escape from an avalanche, get rid of all things and take a horizontal position; cover your mouth and nose with a mitten or scarf so as not to suffocate; in the snow mass, move your arms and legs (depict swimming) to stay on the surface; try to clear a layer of snow in front of you to make breathing easier.

When the avalanche has stopped, try to move up.

Do not lose your temper, do not fall asleep, save your strength, remember that they are looking for you (there are cases when people were rescued from an avalanche on the fifth and even on the thirteenth day)

Test yourself

1. Where do avalanches form?
2. List the causes of avalanches.

After school

1. Ask parents or other adults if they were present at the time of the avalanche. Based on their story, prepare a report on the topic "Personal safety during an avalanche."
2. Write down the main causes of avalanches in your safety diary. Give examples of these phenomena, the description of which you met in the literature, the media. You can use the Internet.

Workshop

You are in a mountainous area where avalanches are possible. What are your actions to maintain personal safety in a similar situation?