A new high-tech probe from MIT gathers more data, more efficiently. But it cannot replace the tried and true snow pit.
di Derek Taylor
The new AvaTech probe is not a replacement for any of the current protocols in place to study snow hardness. However, as far as arrows in a quiver go, the AvaTech SP1 probe and the accompanying AvaNet social platform could prove to be extremely valuable.
The AvaNet platform and the SP1 are the brainchild of three skiers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, one of whom was involved in an avalanche accident in Verbier while living in Switzerland. Their mission while pursuing a master’s degree at MIT was focused: develop a web-connected technology that could help mountain communities better evaluate the snowpack.
The SP1 provides a snow hardness profile similar to what a snow-safety professional would create from digging a pit, simply by probing the snow. Though the SP1 creates a much more precise profile, it is not a replacement for digging a pit and doing stability tests. “I think they are two different ways of ... [per continuare a leggere, fai clic sul link qui in basso]