Avalanche forecasting is currently done by human experts, but the overall avalanche activity of a specific region is often unknown even though this information is very important to deliver accurate predictions. In this project we combine data from satellites together with machine learning algorithms to provide insights on avalanche activities all over the Austrian Alpine region.

Automatic avalanche detection using earth observation satellites enables a better and more complete mapping of avalanches than with manual reporting. This can be used to enhance avalanche prediction done by experts and to form the basis of research on automatic avalanche prediction methods. This project is lead by Stefan Muckenhuber from the Department of Geography and Regional Science at the University of Graz and I’m happy to be part of the team!