The Relationship between Density and Tensile Strength in Snow

Abstract

“Weakest link” theories predict that the brittle fracture of snow is inherently a statistical problem. The probability of failure of snow in centrifugal tensile tests is shown to be a function of σ/σ_mwhere σ is the applied stress and σ_mis a characteristic strength (a maximum strength) which is a function of densityρalone. Similar probabilities of failure are obtained for measurements at Alta, Utah, and Berthoud Pass, Colorado where the characteristic strength is obtained from the relationship .