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
What is the 'self-arrest' limitation that makes it an insufficient sole safety strategy in avalanche terrain?
Answer: Self-arrest prevents falls on ice but does not stop a person caught in a moving avalanche
A moving avalanche generates forces far beyond what self-arrest can counter; survival relies on swimming motions, creating an air pocket, and companion rescue—not an ice axe.
During group travel in avalanche terrain, the 'one-at-a-time' rule is applied primarily to:
Answer: Limit the number of people exposed in a given hazard zone at any one time
Having one person cross while others watch from a safe zone limits casualties if an avalanche releases and ensures observers can initiate rescue immediately.
A stability test that produces a 'sudden planar' (SP) result indicates:
Answer: Abrupt, clean fracture propagating across the column—high concern for propagation
A sudden planar result means the failure was abrupt and the fracture surface was clean and continuous, strongly suggesting that fractures will propagate across a slope.
Which factor most significantly increases the lethality of an avalanche burial beyond the first 15 minutes?
Answer: Asphyxiation from the ice mask that forms around the victim's face
An ice mask forms rapidly from exhaled moisture, blocking the airway and causing asphyxiation—this is why rapid burial depth confirmation and excavation are critical.
In avalanche risk assessment, what does 'elevation band' refer to when describing a danger forecast?
Answer: A specified altitude zone (below treeline, near treeline, above treeline) where a given danger rating applies
Forecasts break hazard into elevation bands because snowpack conditions and loading vary dramatically with altitude, requiring zone-specific danger ratings.
What is the most critical piece of information a buried victim should communicate to rescuers if conscious and able?
Answer: Their approximate burial depth by tapping rhythmically on the snow
Rhythmic tapping transmits vibrations through the snowpack and helps rescuers pinpoint location during probe and shovel phases, especially when beacon signal is weak.
A group notices shooting cracks radiating from their ski tracks on a loaded slope. The correct immediate action is:
Answer: Stop immediately, retreat to safe terrain, and reassess the route plan
Shooting cracks are a critical obvious clue of imminent instability; the only safe response is to immediately exit the hazard zone and not continue across the slope.