Avalanche Decision Making Frameworks: Underlying Factors
2020
Snow avalanches are a complex phenomenon and correct assessment of avalanche danger is crucial in order to avoid accidents. To aid the decision making process, different decision making frameworks have been developed. This study identifies 53 total key factors that inform decision making: 44 factors based on the ten most commonly used decision making frameworks and nine additional factors regarded as important by avalanche professionals.
Authors found that the number of factors used by the different frameworks varies and that professionals often considered other factors to be more important than the ones emphasized in these frameworks. They propose that their classification and description of the factors can contribute to better understanding of why these factors have been included in frameworks, why experts use or do not use decision making frameworks, and why in some cases, single factors seem to be preferred.
Avalanche Decision Making Frameworks: Underlying Factors
Source:
Landrø M, Pfuhl G, Engeset R et al. Avalanche Decision-Making Frameworks: Classification and Description of Underlying Factors. Cold Regions Science and Technology 2020; 169: 102903. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102903