Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems

Snow avalanches, one of the most severe natural hazards in mountainous regions, pose significant risks to human lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems. As climate change accelerates shifts in snowfall and temperature patterns, it is increasingly important to improve our ability to monitor and predict...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Natalya Denissova, Serik Nurakynov, Olga Petrova, Daniker Chepashev, Gulzhan Daumova, Alena Yelisseyeva
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Atmosphere
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/11/1343
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850217845385854976
author Natalya Denissova
Serik Nurakynov
Olga Petrova
Daniker Chepashev
Gulzhan Daumova
Alena Yelisseyeva
author_facet Natalya Denissova
Serik Nurakynov
Olga Petrova
Daniker Chepashev
Gulzhan Daumova
Alena Yelisseyeva
author_sort Natalya Denissova
collection DOAJ
description Snow avalanches, one of the most severe natural hazards in mountainous regions, pose significant risks to human lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems. As climate change accelerates shifts in snowfall and temperature patterns, it is increasingly important to improve our ability to monitor and predict avalanches. This review explores the use of remote sensing technologies in understanding key geomorphological, geobotanical, and meteorological factors that contribute to avalanche formation. The primary objective is to assess how remote sensing can enhance avalanche risk assessment and monitoring systems. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2025. The analysis involved screening relevant studies on remote sensing, avalanche dynamics, and data processing techniques. Key data sources included satellite platforms such as Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, TerraSAR-X, and Landsat-8, combined with machine learning, data fusion, and change detection algorithms to process and interpret the data. The review found that remote sensing significantly improves avalanche monitoring by providing continuous, large-scale coverage of snowpack stability and terrain features. Optical and radar imagery enable the detection of crucial parameters like snow cover, slope, and vegetation that influence avalanche risks. However, challenges such as limitations in spatial and temporal resolution and real-time monitoring were identified. Emerging technologies, including microsatellites and hyperspectral imaging, offer potential solutions to these issues. The practical implications of these findings underscore the importance of integrating remote sensing data with ground-based observations for more robust avalanche forecasting. Enhanced real-time monitoring and data fusion techniques will improve disaster management, allowing for quicker response times and more effective policymaking to mitigate risks in avalanche-prone regions.
format Article
id doaj-art-f4e4097a0143447ea3676ff21d628707
institution OA Journals
issn 2073-4433
language English
publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Atmosphere
spelling doaj-art-f4e4097a0143447ea3676ff21d6287072025-08-20T02:07:57ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332024-11-011511134310.3390/atmos15111343Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring SystemsNatalya Denissova0Serik Nurakynov1Olga Petrova2Daniker Chepashev3Gulzhan Daumova4Alena Yelisseyeva5Department of Information Technology, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, KazakhstanInstitute of Ionosphere, Almaty 050000, KazakhstanSchool of Earth Sciences, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, KazakhstanInstitute of Ionosphere, Almaty 050000, KazakhstanSchool of Earth Sciences, D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan Technical University, Ust-Kamenogorsk 070000, KazakhstanInstitute of Ionosphere, Almaty 050000, KazakhstanSnow avalanches, one of the most severe natural hazards in mountainous regions, pose significant risks to human lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems. As climate change accelerates shifts in snowfall and temperature patterns, it is increasingly important to improve our ability to monitor and predict avalanches. This review explores the use of remote sensing technologies in understanding key geomorphological, geobotanical, and meteorological factors that contribute to avalanche formation. The primary objective is to assess how remote sensing can enhance avalanche risk assessment and monitoring systems. A systematic literature review was conducted, focusing on studies published between 2010 and 2025. The analysis involved screening relevant studies on remote sensing, avalanche dynamics, and data processing techniques. Key data sources included satellite platforms such as Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, TerraSAR-X, and Landsat-8, combined with machine learning, data fusion, and change detection algorithms to process and interpret the data. The review found that remote sensing significantly improves avalanche monitoring by providing continuous, large-scale coverage of snowpack stability and terrain features. Optical and radar imagery enable the detection of crucial parameters like snow cover, slope, and vegetation that influence avalanche risks. However, challenges such as limitations in spatial and temporal resolution and real-time monitoring were identified. Emerging technologies, including microsatellites and hyperspectral imaging, offer potential solutions to these issues. The practical implications of these findings underscore the importance of integrating remote sensing data with ground-based observations for more robust avalanche forecasting. Enhanced real-time monitoring and data fusion techniques will improve disaster management, allowing for quicker response times and more effective policymaking to mitigate risks in avalanche-prone regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/11/1343snow avalancheremote sensingformation factorshazard monitoring systems
spellingShingle Natalya Denissova
Serik Nurakynov
Olga Petrova
Daniker Chepashev
Gulzhan Daumova
Alena Yelisseyeva
Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
Atmosphere
snow avalanche
remote sensing
formation factors
hazard monitoring systems
title Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
title_full Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
title_fullStr Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
title_full_unstemmed Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
title_short Remote Sensing Techniques for Assessing Snow Avalanche Formation Factors and Building Hazard Monitoring Systems
title_sort remote sensing techniques for assessing snow avalanche formation factors and building hazard monitoring systems
topic snow avalanche
remote sensing
formation factors
hazard monitoring systems
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/11/1343
work_keys_str_mv AT natalyadenissova remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems
AT seriknurakynov remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems
AT olgapetrova remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems
AT danikerchepashev remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems
AT gulzhandaumova remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems
AT alenayelisseyeva remotesensingtechniquesforassessingsnowavalancheformationfactorsandbuildinghazardmonitoringsystems