BOULDER, Colo. — Interesting look into the Mechanical Engineering’s Granular Flow Laboratory at the University of Colorado Boulder where scientists are seeking to better understand the changing physics of avalanches.
9News joined CU Boulder associate professor in mechanical engineering Nathalie Vriend who walked through how they conduct avalanche simulations without the use of actual snow. Using photo-elastic particles to mimic snow granules, Vriend and her students trigger small-scale avalanches captured with high speed cameras to get an up-close look of how snow behaves.
“If we understand the physics of avalanches at that moment, we can also predict better where avalanches are going, what kind of force are exerted on structures when they are being hit, and what kind of mitigation methods we need to take in order to reduce the danger and the hazard of avalanches.” –Nathalie Vriend
While have all seen dramatic videos of avalanches crashing down, what happens inside one is still very much a mystery and we love that these folks at the Mechanical Engineering’s Granular Flow Laboratory are working to unravel the underlying physics.
