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Published

avalanche

vr.tr.avalanche · thing-q7935

Let an agent explain avalanches, their types, danger scales and safety resources, and direct people to official avalanche forecasts.

Thing Registry Activities and processes ACT.ACT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Event Which avalanche.

Type

Kind.

Type

Release type, snow wetness and flow regime, recorded separately.

  1. Slab, loose, wet or powder? boundary
  2. Per which observation? provenance

Size

Destructive size.

Size

Class.

  1. What size class? measurement
  2. Per which scale? provenance
Conditions Snowpack.

Snowpack

Layers.

Snowpack

Weak layers.

  1. Which weak layers? provenance
  2. Per which test? provenance

Terrain

Slope.

Terrain

Angle and aspect.

  1. What slope angle and aspect? measurement
  2. Per which map? provenance
Forecast Danger level.

Danger level

Scale.

Danger level

Level and region.

  1. What is the danger level? provenance
  2. Per which warning service? provenance

Problems

Avalanche problems.

Avalanche problem

Type.

  1. Which avalanche problems? provenance
  2. Per the bulletin? provenance
Safety Rescue.

Equipment

Gear.

Equipment

Items.

  1. Which equipment is recommended? provenance
  2. Per which standard? provenance

Rescue

Response.

Rescue

Contact.

  1. How to call rescue? action
  2. Which number? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Activities and processes
Entry kind
thing
Plane
ACT
Domain
ACT.ACT
Other names and narrower kinds
Roof avalanches, slab avalanche, snow avalanche, loose snow avalanche, powder snow avalanche

What it is Filled

A rapid flow of snow down a steep slope, triggered naturally or by people, ranging from small sluffs to large avalanches that can destroy forests and buildings; described by release type (loose snow or slab), snow wetness and flow regime (dense flow or powder cloud) and by size; regional avalanche danger is forecast on a five-level scale in Europe and North America.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain avalanches, their types, danger scales and safety resources, and direct people to official avalanche forecasts.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Slab avalanches release a cohesive layer over a weak layer and cause most fatalities.
  • Most victims trigger the avalanche themselves.
  • Survival of critical burials falls steeply between about 10 and 30 minutes (Swiss study, 2024), depending on circumstances.

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • declare a slope safe
  • replace official forecasts

Only with a human decision

  • route decisions by trained people using official forecasts
  • emergencies to rescue services

May

  • explain avalanches and point to official forecasts

Moral aspects Filled

  • safety

Who is affected

  • mountain users
  • residents

Owners Filled

Steward

nobody; a natural phenomenon; warning services issue forecasts

Master systems

  • regional avalanche warning services

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q123349687 - registry parent class
  • Q3574985 - registry parent class

related

  • mass wasting - natural hazard
  • snowpack - cause
  • regional avalanche forecast - danger level for a region and time
  • avalanche transceiver - safety equipment

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.avalanche
  • Wikidata: Q7935 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7935)

Direct properties not applicable Not applicable

  • typical slope angle for slab avalanches: about 30 to 45 degrees - most start on slopes in this range

Plane ACT: no invented physical properties.

Recognition optional Filled

  • Fracture lines (crowns) on slopes and debris piles at the base
  • Snow sliding or flowing down a slope, from a small sluff to a large cloud of powder.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain types and triggers
  • explain the avalanche danger scale
  • point to official forecast services
  • explain safety equipment and training in general terms

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Burial and asphyxia
  • Trauma
  • Destruction of buildings and roads

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • European Avalanche Danger Scale (EAWS)
  • North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale
  • ETSI EN 300 718 avalanche beacons

Context of use required Filled

  • by release: loose snow or slab
  • by wetness: dry or wet
  • by flow: dense flow or powder cloud
  • glide avalanche
  • roof avalanche (snow slide from roofs)

Sources Filled

  1. Q7935 - identity of the registry item, labels and sitelinks
  2. Avalanche - general description of the subject
  3. Glossary - Avalanche terminology, release types, snow conditions, terrain and regional danger-scale meaning.
  4. Dossier expert sur les avalanches - Dense, powder and mixed flows; entrainment, movement and destructive consequences.
  5. Avalanche Survival Rates in Switzerland, 1981-2020 - Critical-burial definition and updated survival-time evidence.
  6. North American public avalanche danger scale - Five danger levels based on avalanche likelihood, size and distribution.
  7. EN 300 718-1 work item - Standard issuer, identifier and scope for 457 kHz avalanche beacons.
  8. Avalanche science and prevention - Avalanche mechanisms, slab hazards, prevention context and official information resources.

Open questions

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Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q7935/spec.json