Abstract
During winter season 2009/2010 significant amount of snow precipitation occurred. The overall cumulative snow depth was 85 cm higher than the average within period between 1993 and 2006.
Snow precipitation was unevenly distributed reaching its peak in March. In conjunction with strong northwest winds the avalanche danger reached level four (4) out of five (5) scales avalanche danger scale.
Several catastrophic avalanches were naturally triggered in the week from the 21st March to the 28th March. On majority of the slopes medium to large avalanches were observed.
For the purpose of avalanche monitoring it was necessary and crucial to perform reconnaissance flight. The aim of the study was to compare extreme avalanche events on the Polish side of the Tatras and the ones that occurred in Slovak Tatra Mountains.
Several sites were visited in the field and avalanche run-outs were mapped with GPS. Geomorphometric analysis was focused on vertical and horizontal travel distances, area of deposition and avalanche track widths.
The analysis revealed that the extreme avalanche events on both sides of Tatra Mountains manifest common results. On the other hand several events differed significantly.
The study underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation among Poland and Slovakia in the matter of avalanche monitoring and mapping. It would be particularly useful to develop common scale for avalanche size classification within Carpathian mountain range.