Saturday, February 25, 2012

Stellar dendrites, snow physics, and avalanche dynamics



Lucy has just finished up her 8the grade earth science unit on the mechanics of snow. This course taught by Larry is equivalent to a Level 1 or 2 avalanche course. Along with significant reading and lectures, there is much practical work analyzing snow pits, and running search patterns with beacons. The culminating project is a research presentation on a significant avalanche event, reviewing everything from meteorological history to neglected warning signs and human error. Lucy's presentation was on the Hatch Peak avalanche in the Talkeetna range during March 2011. She took this picture while observing snowflakes through her microscope.