Cartographic modeling of snow avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana

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Cartographic modeling of snow avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana

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Title: Cartographic modeling of snow avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana
Author/Creator: Walsh, Stephen J | Butler, D R | Brown, D G | Bian, L
Description: Geographic information system (GIs) techniques were applied to the study of snow-avalanche path location within Glacier National Park, Montana. Snow-avalanche paths are conspicuous and important phenomena within the park: they affect geomorphic, hydrologic, and vegetative processes and distributions, and form the spatial signature of a significant natural hazard. Aerial photointerpretation and field surveys confirmed the location of 121 avalanche paths within the selected study area. Spatial and non-spatial information on each path were integrated using the ARCIINFO GIs. Lithologic, structural, hydrographic, topographic, and land-cover impacts on path location were analyzed. All path frequencies within variable classes were normalized by the area of class occurrence relative to the total area of the study area and were added to the morphometric information contained within INFO tables. The normalized values for each GIs coverage were used to cartographically model, by means of composite factor weightings, avalanche path locations. Buffers were constructed, weighted, and composited to relate distances of paths to lithologic, structural, and hydrographic features. Buffer and factor composites were intersected to determine the spatial probability of path location. The derived model was implemented and a probability map of path location was produced. The cartographic model was evaluated, initially by comparison to the 121 control paths, and secondly to 43 paths not utilized in model formation. Data organized in the GIs provided an effective approach for model development, evaluation, and variable re-weighting for performance enhancement of the model. The capability to perform spatial proximity measures of paths to selected morphological factors contained within the GIs and to add derived attribute data to INFO tables provided essential information for model building not effectively generated through other approaches.
Relation: Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing / Vol. 56, No. 5, pp.615-621
Relation: http://eserv.asprs.org/PERS/1990journal/may/1990_may_615-621.pdf
Year: 1990
Publisher: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
Subject: FoR 0909 (Geomatic Engineering)

Resource Type: Journal Article
Identifier: ISSN: 0099-1112
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