Few forces in nature compare in power and splendor to the avalanche. For thousands of years humans have run in terror from these snowy torrents, whose victims end as frozen statuary, crushed beneath tons of snow

Although common, snow is one of nature's most complex materials. When snow is placed on a mountain slope, lashed by winds, transformed through constant variations of temperature, and strained by the tireless force of gravity, under the right circumstances it can deliver explosive force. With the added weight of a skier or a few centimeters of new snow, the snowpack's delicate balance of stress and strength can be altered with deadly results. Though they seem random and capricious at first glance, avalanches happen for a reason.

Giant screen motion pictures provide a breathtaking canvas to explore the scientific and human dimensions of the avalanche phenomena. An eighty-foot high screen and superb six-channel digital sound system place the audience squarely in the center of the action, where they can witness first-hand the roar, awesome beauty and devastating force of an avalanche.

Filming situations will include, but are not limited to:

1. Weather forecasting is integral to avalanche forecasting. Avalanche experts rely on weather data (infrared satellite/ NEXRAD radar loops), statistical computer models and remote mountaintop weather station networks to anticipate developing avalanche conditions.
2. Snow and wind are the architects of avalanches. Cornice growth, scoured and wind-loaded mountainsides, and storm record keeping offer vital clues to where avalanches will likely occur.
3. Most avalanches release on slopes that are 35 degrees or steeper. Using animated graphics over real avalanche terrain footage we will show the geometry of avalanche slopes and how invisible "deficit zones" lead to catastrophic failure.
4. The snowpack is layered, not a homogenous cover of white. We will lead the audience on a 3-D virtual journey through the internal microstructure of the snowpack (crusts, slabs, weak layers). Massive failure will occur when the stress of the slab exceeds the shear strength of the weaker layers below.
5. Snow changes structure as soon as it hits the ground. Time-lapse micro-cinematography and electron microscopy will show crystal metamorphosis and growth (facets, surface hoar) leading to the development of weak layers within the snowpack.
6. Survival! Personal avalanche rescue gear (beacon, shovel, Avalung, etc.) is no guarantee of survival. If a rescue team is called in, the result will most likely be a body recovery.
7. Profile of a victim. The typical avalanche victim is a young male recreationalist (though women are dying in slides) skier/ snowboarder/ snowmobiler who has likely had some prior avalanche awareness training.
8. Passive and active mitigation. Engineers design structures to protect people and property in known paths from the impact forces of avalanches. Mitigation teams place explosives by ski and helicopter, shoot artillery and fire Gazex installations to release avalanches that threaten highways and ski areas.
9. Risks and rewards. Practicing backcountry safety protocol and looking out for signs of instability go hand in hand with enjoying the pleasures of skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, and winter mountaineering.