The effect of slab touchdown on anticrack arrest in propagation saw tests

Abstract

Understanding crack phenomena in the snowpack and their role in avalanche formation is imperative for hazard prediction and mitigation. Many studies have explored how structural properties of snow contribute to the initial instability of the snowpack, focusing particularly on failure initiation within weak snow layers and the onset of crack propagation. This work addresses the subsequent stage, the effect of slab touchdown after weak-layer failure in mixed-mode loading (compressive anticrack (mode I) and shear (mode II) loading). Our results demonstrate that slab touchdown reduces the energy release rate, which can lead to crack arrest even under static conditions. This challenges the idea that only the dynamic properties of snow layers and spatial snowpack variations govern arrest, emphasizing instead the crucial role of mechanical interactions between the slab, weak layer, and base layer. By integrating these findings into the broader context of snowpack stability analysis, we contribute to a more nuanced understanding of avalanche initiation mechanisms. The analysis is provided in a comprehensive open-source model (https://github.com/2phi/weac, last access: 11 June 2025).