The Dangers of Avalanches Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Dangers of AvalanchesImagine a day of skiing or snowmobiling, where each(prenominal) is good and that last mountain must be conquered. Once on the toss, it may seem perfect, until the snow begins to give a means and start to slide. tumble down a slope moving at 150 miles per hour, shattering into trees, becoming hide under 100,000 tons of snow, only to guess which way is up, how does one survive? Will the rescuers be able to find the buried victim? For centuries, mountain dwellers and travelers have had to reckon with the deadly forces of snowy torrents descend with lightning speed down mountainsides. Researchers and experts are making progress in detection, taproom and safety measures, scarcely avalanches still take their deadly toll end-to-end the world. Each year, avalanches claim more than 150 lives worldwide, a number that has been increase over the past few decades (Cooper). Traditionally, the victims have included skiers and climbers. Today an change magnitude numb er are backcountry snowboarders and gasoline crazed snowmobilers (whyfiles.org).An Avalanche is defined as a rapidly descending large mass of snow, ice, soil, rock or mixtures of these materials, sliding or falling in response to the force of gravity. any that is necessary for an avalanche is a mass of snow and a slope for it to slide down. Avalanches occur regularly on mountains around the world, and are harmless, unless individual happens to be in the way. They tend to run down the same pathways either year, and danger zones are usually well-known (infoplease.com). Avalanches are born from a weakness in the snow. Snow is a shape-changer, depending on prevailing temperature and brave conditions. Snow begins life as a fluffy six-armed crystal flake, but while it... ...www.nature.com/nsu/990902/990902-3.html Fink, Micah. PBS Savage Planet. Extremes Forecasting Avalanches. 10 bound 2004. <http//www.pbs.org/wnet/savageplanet/04extremes/02avalforecast/indexmid.htmlFredstor Jill A. and Fesler, Doug. Snow Sense. A Guide to Evaluation Snow Avalanche Hazard. Alaska heap Safety Center, 1994.McClung, David and Schaerer, Peter. The Avalanche Handbook. Douglas and McIntyre, Ltd. 1993. national Snow and Ice Data Center. wherefore Avalanche Awareness? 12 frame 2004. <http//nsidc.org/snow/avalanche/index.htmlNational Weather Service, The Handy Weather Answer Book, Visible Ink. Detroit 1997. 9 March 2004. < http//www.crh.noaa.gov/riw/avalanch1.htmTechLink, Army Technology to be used for Better Avalanche Protection, 8 March 2004<http//techlink.msu.montana.edu/dt/armyavalancheprediction.html