Snow is a fascinating material with a complex and evolving microstructure. Snow avalanches, notably slab avalanches, are generally initiated by failure and collapse in the snowpack of a so-called weak layer, whose thickness can be very small (a few mm). This phenomenon, in which the instability of a whole slope is ultimately controlled by rupture mechanisms at the scale of the microstructure of the weak layer, is intrinsically multiscale.

Key points of the PhD:

• Development of an innovative numerical approach
• Applications to natural hazards (snow avalanches)
• Stimulating and multidisciplinary work team

More details in the attached file.