A fast-moving mass of snow, rock, ice, and soil rushes down a slope, snapping large trees like matchsticks. Large avalanches can weigh a million tons and travel at speeds of 200 mph.
Take a closer look at the two main types of snow avalanches, sluffs and slabs. Then discover why its difficult for scientists to predict these destructive events with any certainty.
Meet Ed Adams, an engineering professor at Montana State University. He's growing snow in a laboratory to learn more about avalanches and the unstable snow spots on mountains that can cause them. More...
In the late 1890s, thousands of people headed to Alaska in hopes of finding gold. The deadliest event of the Klondike gold rush, the Palm Sunday Avalanche, buried more than 65 victims in up to 30 feet of snow. More...
Trying to determine where an avalanche will occur and what path it will take is very difficult. But an experiment with ping-pong balls might help. More...
Imagine being buried under several feet of snow and having no idea if you would be found. That is exactly what happened to Rhianna Shaw in the winter of 2012. Listen to her talk about her experience. More...
You really don't want to be in the path of an avalanche. But this page tells you how professionals safely capture film of an avalanche as it happens. More...
Think you know a lot about avalanches? Watch this video — then take the quiz. Don't worry. The answers are provided as well! More...