Avalanches
Whumpfing sounds in the snow
Whumpfing sounds reveal that there are one or more weak layers down in the snowpack. When such a snowpack is put under load, the weak layer collapses and the air is forced out, and we get a characteristic sound.
Listen to the snow, do you hear anything?
Whumpfing sounds reveal that there are one or more weak layers down in the snowpack. When such a snowpack is put under load, the weak layer collapses and the air is forced out, and we get a characteristic sound. Such sounds are often called whumpf sounds (drønn).
Weak layer in the snow. Photo: Varsom
Look at the picture: here we see a clear weak layer in the snowpack. Here there is buried hoar, the pale band in the middle of the snowpack that the arrow is pointing at. Hoar is crystals with few contact points to one another.