A major avalanche event on Mount Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand

Abstract

On the evening of 5–6 September 1981, an avalanche on the east slopes of Mount Egmont buried the walking track to the Stratford Mountain Club skifield under several metres of debris. The weather conditions preceding the event were typical of those producing direct-action slab failures. However, the volume of debris and the presence of shearing layers above the thick ice bands in the snowpack suggest that old snow contributed to the magnitude of the event. Whether the initial failure occurred in the old snow or in the new snow layers cannot be determined from the available information. A systematic programme of snowpack and meteorological observations is required in Mount Egmont and Tongariro National Parks to provide information necessary for avalanche hazard assessment. © 1983 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.