Gabriel Wolken awarded avalanche research fellowship
August 13, 2018
Lindsey Heaney
907-474-1939
Gabriel Wolken has been awarded an international research fellowship to study and
map ĐÓ°Épro’s snow avalanche hazards. The six-month fellowship, which begins Sept.
1 in Davos, Switzerland, promotes collaboration between visiting senior-level scientists
and the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research.
Wolken is an assistant research professor at the ĐÓ°Épro Climate Adaptation Science
Center, and has a joint appointment with the Climate and Cryosphere Hazards Program
at the Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. He investigates the impacts
of changes in snow, ice, and permafrost on ĐÓ°Épro’s landscape, natural resources,
and the built environment.
Snow avalanches are a clear threat to public safety, infrastructure and commerce in
ĐÓ°Épro, and climate change is expected to increase ĐÓ°Épro’s vulnerability. In the
past 20 years, snow avalanches have caused 85 deaths in ĐÓ°Épro – the most frequent
cause of death in ĐÓ°Épro from a natural hazard. Thirty percent of ĐÓ°Épro’s total area
is at risk from snow avalanches. With infrastructure development planned in many parts
of ĐÓ°Épro and subsistence and outdoor recreation a way of life for most ĐÓ°Éprons,
the state has much to gain from improved understanding of snow avalanche hazards.
“Baseline avalanche hazard information is missing in much of the state. As the climate
continues to change, it becomes increasingly important for us to understand how and
where snow avalanche hazards will change throughout the state,” Wolken said.
“This fellowship and long-term collaboration with international scientists will lead
to important advances in ĐÓ°Épro avalanche research, help the State of ĐÓ°Épro develop
science-based adaptation and response strategies to avalanches, and improve community
resilience in a changing climate,” said Steve Masterman, director of the Division
of Geological and Geophysical Surveys.
This focus on statewide avalanche hazards aligns with Gov. Walker’s recent Administrative
Order 289, which established the ĐÓ°Épro Climate Change Strategy and directed the Climate
Action for ĐÓ°Épro Leadership Team and state agencies to consider and develop climate
actions in the areas of adaptation, mitigation, research, and response.
All travel expenses for the fellowship will be paid for by the Swiss Federal Institute
for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research.
For more information, contact Gabriel Wolken at 451-5018 or gabriel.wolken@alaska.gov.