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Sep 19, 2021: Alpha (Runout) Angles and Climate Regimes
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While we don't get many legitimate comments this topic attracts more interest than most, and it is one which is prone to misconceptions. So feel free to comment or request a response post from us.
[Edited for clarity with no change to content on Sept 19, 2021. This first appeared on avalanche-blog.org which has since been transferred to a new site. It has been reposted here and has a courtesy link from that new site.]
The alpha angle is the angle from the end of the runout to the top of the starting zone. For a brief definition including a diagram you can see the avalanche center glossary:
Avalanche Center -> Education Center -> Glossary -> Alpha Angle
Alpha angles (used to measure runout distance) do NOT depend on climatology. Whether a mountain range is maritime or continental (or something else) does not make much difference. Despite what may have found its way into the popular literature. What is important isn't entirely clear, but it's not climate. Every mountain range seems to offer its own behavior regarding maximum runout potentials, and each range must be analyzed separately.
While we don't get many legitimate comments this topic attracts more interest than most, and it is one which is prone to misconceptions. So feel free to comment or request a response post from us.
[Edited for clarity with no change to content on Sept 19, 2021. This first appeared on avalanche-blog.org which has since been transferred to a new site. It has been reposted here and has a courtesy link from that new site.]
The alpha angle is the angle from the end of the runout to the top of the starting zone. For a brief definition including a diagram you can see the avalanche center glossary:
Avalanche Center -> Education Center -> Glossary -> Alpha Angle
Alpha angles (used to measure runout distance) do NOT depend on climatology. Whether a mountain range is maritime or continental (or something else) does not make much difference. Despite what may have found its way into the popular literature. What is important isn't entirely clear, but it's not climate. Every mountain range seems to offer its own behavior regarding maximum runout potentials, and each range must be analyzed separately.
