Risk Assessment & Mitigation Flashcards
7 cards from real ASC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Risk Assessment & Mitigation flashcards as text
Which aspect and elevation combination typically presents the highest persistent slab avalanche risk in the continental US snowpack?
Answer: North and northeast aspects at upper elevations
North and northeast upper-elevation aspects receive minimal solar radiation, promoting persistent weak layer formation through temperature gradient metamorphism.
In avalanche risk management, what does 'consequence' refer to in the risk equation?
Answer: The potential severity of harm if an avalanche occurs
Risk equals likelihood multiplied by consequence; consequence encompasses burial depth, terrain traps, injury potential, and group rescue capacity.
A crown wall with smooth, sugary crystals visible at its base most likely indicates which type of weak layer caused the avalanche?
Answer: Depth hoar or faceted snow
Depth hoar and faceted crystals appear as angular, sugary grains and commonly form the sliding surface in persistent slab avalanches.
When assessing avalanche risk during a warming trend with rain at higher elevations, the primary concern is:
Answer: Rapid loss of snowpack strength due to liquid water infiltration
Liquid water reduces friction between snow grains and weakens internal bonds, dramatically increasing wet avalanche activity and runout distances.
What role does a group's 'decision point' play in safe avalanche terrain travel?
Answer: It is a pre-designated location to reassess conditions before committing to consequential terrain
A decision point is a deliberate checkpoint where the group stops, gathers new information, and consciously chooses whether to continue or retreat before entering high-consequence terrain.
Which of the following best describes a 'remote trigger' in avalanche terrain?
Answer: Triggering an avalanche on a slope from a safe location some distance away
Remote triggering occurs when a person's weight propagates a fracture through a weak layer to a distant, often steeper slope that then releases—a particularly dangerous phenomenon.
The 'avalanche problem' concept used by North American avalanche centers helps practitioners because it:
Answer: Specifies the type of avalanche, location, and likelihood to guide terrain choices
Naming the specific avalanche problem (e.g., wind slab, persistent slab, wet snow) with its aspect, elevation, and likelihood helps travelers make targeted terrain decisions rather than responding to a single abstract number.