PURPOSE

The purpose of AVALANCHEMAPPING.ORG is to share with winter backcountry users the benefits of combining GIS/GPS technology, data and techniques with avalanche and snow science information and data. To encourage users to participate in proper avalanche training in order to help lessen avalanche accidents. To build avalanche atlas maps containing useful information and that can be carried as field reference guides and used in course instruction. To help create a GIS and metadata standard for avalanche studies and snowpit data.

CONCEPT 1.

This company is predominately driven by generating avalanche atlas maps and developing field collection applications. The site is set up to provide information so that a person with a basic avalanche class and intermediate computer skills can understand the concepts of GIS/GPS avalanche and snow pit data and help encourage the generation of this data to create avalanche atlas maps and potentially interactive web maps for the public.

CONCEPT 2.

The next concept of this site is to encourage avalanche and snow science professionals to collect GPS coordinates while doing their studies and control work. The spatial and real time components of what we do is rarely addressed on almost all of the avalanche web sites out there. This will eventually lead to a database where we can easily view, cross reference, and forecast with both real time and historical data.

CONCEPT 3.

The 3rd concept is for the purposed standardization of avalanche and snow data that will be in GIS layers. Currently there has been no effort to set a standard for GIS attribute tables or digital storage for this science. We are working towards this by having developed, a "Geodatabase" model based on the "Snow, Weather, and Avalanches: Observational Guidelines for Avalanche Programs in the United States" this document was produced through the cooperative efforts of the American Avalanche Association (A3) and the Forest Service National Avalanche Center in the fall of 2004. To view Avalanche Mapping's geodatabase model Click here. We have also extensively researched GIS use being applied in Canada and Europe to base our work on.

AVALANCHE INFORMATION, ADVICE and SAFETY

PERHAPS THE BEST AVALANCHE ADVICE IS: DO NOT GET IN ONE!

There are some web sites that have good information. Some of the best avalanche information and advice pages I have found are located at:

Inside Avalanche! A documentary by the Public Broadcasting Service:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/avalanche/

The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC):

http://www-nsidc.colorado.edu/snow/avalanches.html

Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research
Snow and Avalanche Information.

Determining the Width of a Search Strip for Avalanche Beacons

Search Strategies for Multiple Avalanche Burials

Digital Beacon Pinpointing

Pyrenees Skier Caught in Avalanche, MPEG movie.

Snowcrystals.com; This site is all about snow crystals and snowflakes:

http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/

The American Institute
for Avalanche Research And Education Danger Chart

The SNOW Interest Group sponsored by
US Army ERDC Cold Regions Research & Engineering Laboratory:

http://snow.usace.army.mil/

International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine "Avalanche Emergency" Homepage:

http://users.south-tyrolean.net/avalanche/

Whistler-Blackcomb Ski Area Website:

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain/safety/backcountry/index.htm

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountain/safety/carda/index.htm

Snowsafe from Australia:

http://www.snowsafe.org.au/

International Statistics of People Rescued Alive or Dead from Avalanches 2003/2004

DISCLAIMER: THIS DATA IS TO BE USED AS REFERENCE ONLY AND IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SKILL, EXPERIENCE AND PROPER EDUCATION. SPATIAL ACCURACY OF THIS TYPE OF DATA IS VARIABLE AND SNOW PROFILES CHANGE DAY TO DAY. AVALANCHEMAPPING.ORG IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY, ACCIDENT, OR DEATH AS A RESULT OF USING THIS DATA.