Snow Avalanches and Acoustic Emissions

TL;DRAbstract

Analyses of several years of data show that acoustic emission activity is greater from unstable snowpacks than from stable snowpacks. Two types of signals have been identified: type I spikes and type II long-term elevation of the noise level. It is thought that the type I signals originate from macroscopic cracks. The type II signals may originate from differential movement on shearing surfaces, but this is less certain. Increased noise levels of both types correlate well with slope instability, when the slope stability is known. In some climates the limited range of signal detection might be a significant problem. A foam-mounted geophone set into the snow near active layers appears to be the best sensor available at present.

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