10.16904/envidat.77
Elisabeth Hafner
Elisabeth
Hafner
SLF
Yves Bühler
Yves
Bühler
0000-0002-0815-2717
SLF
SPOT6 Avalanche outlines 24 January 2018
2019
EnviDat
AVALANCHE
HAZARD MAPPING
NATURAL HAZARD
SATELLITE
SNOW
Yves Bühler
Yves
Bühler
0000-0002-0815-2717
SLF
2018-02-28
en
dataset
https://www.envidat.ch/dataset/spot6-avalanche-outlines-24-january-2018
https://www.envidat.ch/dataset/fa4adf13-d0e5-4479-9b46-cbb07233999f
157117977 bytes
SHP
1.0
ODbL with Database Contents License (DbCL)
Outlines of 18'737 avalanches mapped from SPOT6 satellite data over the Swiss Alps on 24 January 2018. The outlines have different attributes described in the data example key (ExampleKey_AvalMapping.pdf)
The generation of the data is described in:
Bühler, Y., E. D. Hafner, B. Zweifel, M. Zesiger, and H. Heisig (2019), Where are the avalanches? Rapid SPOT6 satellite data acquisition to map an extreme avalanche period over the Swiss Alps, The Cryosphere, 13(12), 3225-3238, doi:10.5194/tc-13-3225-2019.
Abstract.
Accurate and timely information on avalanche occurrence are key for avalanche warning, crisis management and avalanche documentation. Today such information is mainly available at isolated locations provided by observers in the field. The achieved reliability considering accuracy, completeness and reliability of the reported avalanche events is limited. In this study we present the spatial continuous mapping of a large avalanche period in January 2018 covering the majority of the Swiss Alps (12’500 km2).
We tested different satellite sensors available for rapid mapping during a first avalanche period. Based on these experiences, we tasked SPOT6/7 data for data acquisition to cover the second, much larger avalanche period. We manually mapped the outlines of 18’737 individual avalanche events, applying image enhancement techniques to analyze regions in cast shadow as well as brightly illuminated ones. The resulting dataset of mapped avalanche outlines, having a unique completeness and reliability, is evaluated to produce maps of avalanche occurrence and avalanche size. We validated the mapping of the avalanche outlines using photographs acquired from helicopters just after the avalanche period.
This study demonstrates the applicability of optical, very high spatial resolution satellite data to map an exceptional avalanche period with very high completeness, accuracy and reliability over a large region. The generated avalanche data is of great value to validate avalanche bulletins, complete existing avalanche databases and for research applications by enabling meaningful statistics on important avalanche parameters.
Koordinate System: CH1903+ LV95 LN02
6.6522216796875
46.437856895024204
7.871704101562499
46.99524110694593
8.6187744140625
47.092565552235676
9.365844726562498
47.15984001304432
9.6295166015625
47.15236927446393
9.8931884765625
46.94276208682137
10.2337646484375
46.86019101567027
10.4534912109375
46.9502622421856
10.4754638671875
46.73233101286786
10.3985595703125
46.55130547880643
10.0030517578125
46.619261036171515
9.4317626953125
46.626806395355175
8.6187744140625
46.49082901981415
8.1793212890625
46.27863122156088
7.9376220703125
45.9587876403564
7.432250976562499
45.90529985724799
7.1466064453125
45.89000815866182
6.8499755859375
46.195042108660154
6.6522216796875
46.437856895024204
Switzerland
BAFU
Kanton Wallis