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
The citizenship obstacle course facing spouses of Swiss Abroad
Swiss ‘Covid leaks’ scandal: court keeps gagging order
This content was published on
Swiss prosecutors, investigating a leak of confidential government information during Covid-19, remain blocked from seeing sensitive communication.
Thieves steal precious metals from Swiss watchmaker
This content was published on
Thieves raided the factory of the Swiss watch supplier Werthanor in Le Locle in northwestern Switzerland on Thursday morning. They fled across the border to France with precious metals.
Swiss court confirms guilty verdicts against Hells Angels and Bandidos bikers
This content was published on
Bern's High Court on Thursday confirmed guilty verdicts against six Hells Angels and Bandidos bikers involved in a violent clash outside the Swiss capital in 2019.
China rejects report on Tibetans and Uyghurs in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Chinese foreign ministry on Thursday rejected a Swiss government report suggesting that China has been cracking down on Tibetans and Uighurs living in Switzerland.
Fleur Jaeggy wins 2025 Grand Prix for Swiss Literature award
This content was published on
Zurich-born writer Fleur Jaeggy is the 2025 winner of the Grand Prix for Swiss Literature, the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) announced on Thursday.
USAID funding: Swiss aid groups urge foreign minister to act
This content was published on
Swiss aid agencies and churches have urged Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis to take action following the freeze to funds disbursed by USAID.
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.