Management of Snow Avalanche Risk in the Ski Areas of the Southern Carpathians-Romanian Carpathians - Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions: Southeastern Europe - page 116

Fig. 10.11 Location of main important snow avalanches and number of fatalities and buried in
Sinaia ski area (photos by Voiculescu, 2005)
Neige-Grenoble. The main purpose of the programme is to study snow and its future
evolution as well as avalanche triggering conditions. The methodology used for the
nivological programme is based both on classical observations and on the profile
of snow layer resistance. All nivometeorological data is analyzed by means of two
systems developed by Centre d'Études de la Neige-Grenoble known as GELINIV
and CROCUS-MEPRA PC.
The nivometeorology programme has a Work Laboratory in the Fagaras massif
at Bâlea Lac. The laboratory studies snow conditions and monitors the frequency of
snow avalanches in two glacial valleys: Bâlea on the northern slope of the massif
and Capra on the southern. They represent attractive tourist areas and have a high
winter sports potential. The second important step in the above-mentioned context is
that the Nivometeorology Programme of the National Meteorology Administration
R.A. (Administra , ia Na , ionala de Meteorologie) apart from continuing its activity
in the Fagaras massif will expand in other mountain areas with high avalanche risk
such as the Bucegi Mountains and Postavaru Mountains. At the moment, there are
only four points of snow research and snow avalanche hazard monitoring, all placed
in the Southern Carpathians, in the Bucegi Mountains (in the Sinaia resort at Cota
1,500 m and at Vf. Omu -2,505 m) and in the Fagaras massif.
It is an important fact that Romania has joined other European Union countries
in both monitoring and snow avalanche hazard prevention; thus after the European