Emma Vogel

Craft
Science
Avalanche cause and effect
Final Draft

Avalanches kill more than 150 people throughout North America and Europe each year.
Since winter sports are becoming more and more popular each year, avalanches are becoming
much more common. However, the fact that avalanches are incredibly dangerous and
unpredictable, people living in mountain towns, or big skiers are constantly protected from
avalanches by local ski patrollers. Patrol men go up on the slopes on a daily basis to shoot the
snow and chutes, causing avalanches to go off before they catch a skier. Patrol men risk their
lives controlling avalanches for us, so we have a lesser chance of getting caught. Without
humans, there would be no knowing about avalanches, and its our job to prevent them from
hurting humanity. Avalanches are caused by weak layers of snow, a rapid change in the
temperature, or the accidental trigger of a human. Devastatingly so, avalanches result in
destroyed forests, and/or mountain villages, crushed cars and highways, and lastly, the death of
skiers or ski patrollers.
According to the article Avalanche by Ed Adams, avalanches are caused when the
layers of fallen snow become weak. For example; after snow has fallen, if it happens to have
bonded weakly and then hardened, the snow just waits for the perfect trigger. Also, in National
Geographics video Avalanches 101 it states that avalanches are caused by a rapid change in
the temperature. Further explaining, if it is below zero one day with heavy heavy powder coming
down, and then the next day it is bright sunny and seventy five, (typical Colorado weather) the

layers melt together or freeze together and they bond weakly. Lastly, National Geographic has
provided the information that avalanches are caused by the trigger of a human. Being the most
common of the three, it is also the saddest. Ninety percent of avalanche victims die because they
or someone they are with accidentally triggers an avalanche. Weather it is by crossing, or falling,
or even purposefully setting one off for safety reasons, avalanches are caused by humans. One
minute you are carving turns down a chute, and the next there is an avalanche on your tail.
Undoubtedly, there are three main causes to avalanches; weak layers in snow, a rapid change in
the temperature, and the sudden trigger of a human.
With the trigger of an avalanche comes the effects; destroyed property, crushed cars or
highways, and the death of humans, Villages or towns can be destroyed in avalanches, On April
26th 2015 in Nepal, Several camps on Mount. Everest were totally wiped out due to an
earthquake that caused a major avalanche. Avalanches have the force to completely smash cars.
On January 29 2014 in Alaska, a huge avalanche hit the Richardson Highway and many vehicles,
closing down the highway for more than a week due to left behind snow and heavy debris. The
recent Mount Everest avalanche on April 26th 2015, killed 19 people.
In conclusion, avalanches are traumatic whatever the circumstance and are very
unpredictable, but they are mainly caused by weak layers of snow, a rapid temperature change,
and humans, Avalanches are caused purposefully, (for safety precautions) or accidentally (when
devastation occurs) and they result in damaged towns, shut down highways, and the death of
humans,