Planning Methods For Assessing And Mitigating Snow Avalanche Risk

More than 75,000 copies sold of previous editions New chapter on risk management Includes new photographs and updated illustrations The Avalanche Handbook needs no introduction. For this new fourth edition of the course-adopted and internationally recognized book, David McClung has completed an in-depth review and update of the entire text, as well as consulted outside experts in explosives, search and rescue, and other key topics. Comprehensive sections cover the formation, character, effects, and control of avalanches; avalanche terrain and forecasting; safety and rescue; risk management, preventive and protective measures; and more. Technical yet accessible and with extensive photos, illustrations, graphs, and charts throughout, The Avalanche Handbook will continue to be essential reading for avalanche professionals and serious winter backcountry adventurers.

The present mortality as a result of snow avalanches exceeds the average mortality caused by earthquakes as well as all other forms of slope failure combined. Snow avalanches can range from small amounts of loose snow moving rapidly down a slope to slab avalanches, in which large chunks of snow break off and destroy everything in their path. Although considered a hazard in the United States since the westward expansion in the nineteenth century, in modern times snow avalanches are an increasing concern in recreational mountainous areas. However, programs for snow avalanche hazard mitigation in other countries are far ahead of those in the United States. The book identifies several steps that should be taken by the United States in order to establish guidelines for research, technology transfer, and avalanche legislation and zoning.

This handbook addresses snow and avalanche phenomena in a forestry setting and presents a risk assessment produre suitable for incorporation in the terrain stability field assessment process. Outlines harvest design and silvicultural strategies to reduce the risk of avalanche damage. Includes strategies for managing avalanche risks in winter.

Assessment of risk and uncertainty is crucial for natural hazard risk management, facilitating risk communication and informing strategies to successfully mitigate our society's vulnerability to natural disasters. Written by some of the world's leading experts, this book provides a state-of-the-art overview of risk and uncertainty assessment in natural hazards. It presents the core statistical concepts using clearly defined terminology applicable across all types of natural hazards and addresses the full range of sources of uncertainty, the role of expert judgement and the practice of uncertainty elicitation. The core of the book provides detailed coverage of all the main hazard types and concluding chapters address the wider societal context of risk management. This is an invaluable compendium for academic researchers and professionals working in the fields of natural hazards science, risk assessment and management and environmental science, and will be of interest to anyone involved in natural hazards policy.