Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
Swiss researchers receive patent for avalanche warning device
Keystone-SDA
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening: Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF) announced on Tuesday that it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device, named ‘Snowimager’, to enhance avalanche warnings.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Deutsch
de
Schweizer Forscher erhalten Patent für Gerät zur Lawinenwarnung
Original
While avalanche wardens often rely on time-consuming measurements of the snow cover, this new device examines the boundaries between different layers of snow in the snowpack.
According to the SLF, the device speeds up and standardises this process. It has the potential to replace traditional, manual snow profiles in the long term.
Snow layers vary in density and the type of snow crystals. Their boundaries and composition are crucial for avalanche warning services to identify weak layers, which can break spontaneously or under pressure, such as from a skier. The density of the snow cover is also crucial for issuing timely flood warnings.
Swiss researchers develop device which uses invisible light to measure snow
The device uses invisible near-infrared light to analyse the density and grain size of snow layers. Two cameras measure the amount of light reflected by the snow crystals. The smaller the crystals, the more light is reflected.
More
More
What’s triggering avalanches?
This content was published on
Avalanches are hard to predict. Researchers in Davos are simulating the effects of wind on fresh snow to better understand the dangerous phenomenon.
Then, the cameras measure how far the light spreads laterally, which helps determine the snow cover’s density. The lower the density, the deeper the light penetrates into the snow layer. The deeper it penetrates, the further it spreads laterally due to reflection from the crystals.
The SLF already has three of these devices, which it lends to other research institutes and experts. The institute noted that there’s significant interest in them. The next step is to prepare the device for mass production.
Translated from German with DeepL/sp
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Abroad
Thousands of emigrants’ descendants in Argentina demand Swiss citizenship
This content was published on
Paul Hottinguer, a member of one of Switzerland’s most famous banking families, will face trial in Paris for tax fraud and money laundering.
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
This content was published on
The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
This content was published on
Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
This content was published on
A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
This content was published on
Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
This content was published on
Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
This content was published on
Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
Basel diocese files five claims of sexual abuse in Swiss Catholic Church
This content was published on
The diocese of Basel has received 141 reports of sexual abuse since the publication of a sweeping study on violations in the Catholic Church by the University of Zurich in 2023.
Swiss president calls for open markets and stable institutions in WEF speech
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter was among speakers at the WEF in Davos to make the case for fair competition, a day after Donald Trump became the 47th president of the United States.
Swiss film in competition at the 75th Berlinale has a shot at Golden Bear
This content was published on
The feature film La Cache by Lausanne screenwriter and director Lionel Baier has a chance of winning the Silver or Golden Bear at the 75th Berlinale, festival organisers said on Tuesday.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.