The Use of Cellular Automata to Simulate the Dynamics of Snow Avalanches

Abstract

The numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equations and its various modifications is considered to be a common approach in the simulation of snow avalanches dynamics. At the same time, there are difficulties with modeling turbulent flow, computational complexity, which in turn stimulates the search for alternative methods adapted for computer implementation. Recently, cellular automata – based modeling methods have been used to study various physical processes, which attract by their simplicity and versatility. The paper describes a quasi-three-dimensional and three-dimensional model of cellular automata for calculating the dynamics of snow avalanches. Avalanches are divided into small elements - cells or elementary machines. Each cell is characterized by its own parameters. The interaction between the cells is described by simple laws, which allows to simplify the calculation process.