Ischgl

This system has also been tested for snow avalanche detection. Therefore it was installed near the Austrian state road Silvretta Straße B188 close to the ski-village Ischgl. This road is an important transport link in the avalanche-exposed Paznaun Valley and is closed regularly due to high avalanche risk. To protect one key section of this road seven avalanche towers (remote controlled avalanche releasing systems working with explosives) were installed on two avalanche paths in 2011, together with a radar unit for avalanche detection at one of this avalanche channels. Additionally, from 2012 to 2014 an infrasound array consisting of five sensors was installed in a forest close to the radar unit and from 2013 to 2017 the detection system based on a single infrasound sensor has also been installed there. The detection systems can be principally used for examining the effectiveness of explosions in case of poor visibility and at night, but also for information about spontaneous avalanche activity. An overview of the avalanche paths and the location of the detection systems and avalanche towers is given in Figure 1a and Figure 1b shows the avalanche path monitored by the radar, the radar setup, infrasound detection system, and the position of the avalanche towers.

Fig. 1: (a) Overview of the avalanche paths, system location and avalanche towers at the Silvretta road close to Ischgl (Source Google Maps). The area monitored by the radar is marked in blue.
(b) Close view of the single infrasound sensor system, the avalanche radar and the main avalanche path Grosstal.