Research in Action: Public - University of Calgary

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Avalanche research findings are out to save lives in Canada’s winter playground. Understanding why, how and when avalanches are likely to occur is critical to keeping people safe in Canada’s mountains. Communicating safety tips and risk updates to skiers, snowboarders and snowmobilers is essential to saving lives. Dr. Bruce Jamieson, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Research Chair in Snow Avalanche Risk Control, and associate professor at the University of Calgary Schulich School of Engineering, has invested 24 years into avalanche research, forecasting, hazard assessment, avalanche control and sector education and communication. His findings and knowledge reach professional backcountry guides, avalanche forecasters and the general public through ski industry associations, avalanche bulletins, training materials, academic papers and worldwide presentations. He has published three books on backcountry avalanche safety that are used as student manuals for the Canadian Avalanche Centre’s avalanche skills training courses for winter recreationists. His work has the potential to lower the number of avalanche-related deaths in Canada. Learning, teaching and empowering In 2003, Canada had twice the typical number of yearly deaths due to avalanches. In response, Jamieson’s team advanced those areas of research designed to support safer decisions by the public. The team produced a training CD detailing ‘Pops and Drops’ to help recreationists recognize unstable snow. The CD is used in the Canadian Avalanche Centre’s two-day avalanche skills training and the more-advanced four-day backcountry programs. Jamieson has also completed an analysis of Canada’s avalanche bulletins to determine if they might be improved through changes to the configuration of the areas they report on or adjustments to their distribution cycles. And he is part of a team that is currently launching the Avaluator, a decision support card to be used by the public in conjunction with avalanche bulletins to help determine the risk of avalanche in specific areas. “The multidisciplinary team that developed the Avaluator included social scientists,” says Jamieson. “Reaching the public with increased avalanche risk information is essential — but understanding backcountry users’ decisionmaking about proceeding into an area, or not, is critical as we work to increase safety and help save lives.” Jamieson is entering the third year of a five-year applied research project with combined funding of $1.3 million from NSERC, 55 companies involved in Canada’s skiing sector and the Canadian Avalanche Centre; the project also receives extensive in-kind support. The research team led by Jamieson includes U of C graduate students and colleagues in British Columbia, the U.S. and Europe. www.ucalgary.ca/asarc/ www.avalanche.ca “Based at the University of Calgary, Dr. Jamieson leads the largest field program of snow avalanche research in the world. Knowledge transfer is exemplary; research results are shared through spring and fall sessions with practitioners, directly improving our understanding and capacity to predict avalanches. Jamieson and his team produce world-class research that will save lives and position Canada to achieve its potential as the world’s premiere winter tourism destination.” University of Calgary Research in Action 14 Clair Israelson — executive director, Canadian Avalanche Centre.
Research in Action: Environment Increasing public safety through avalanche research and education: Dr. Bruce Jamieson’s avalanche research is helping backcountry users to better assess avalanche risk and make safer decisions. 15
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Research in Action: Public - University of Calgary

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