Avalanche nucleation by impacting an inclined plane of granular material with a particle

Early detection of unstable slopes where an avalanche is likely to occur in the near future is critical for timely evacuation of people nearby. This necessitates a method to determine how unstable a slope is. This paper seeks to determine the relation between the slope angle and the kinetic energy needed to start an avalanche. MercuryDPM is used to simulate an inclined plane of glass beads upon which an additional bead is dropped from varying heights. The occurrence of an avalanche was based on a minimum kinetic energy present in the system at some time after impact. It was determined that there is a linear correlation between the slope angle and drop height needed to initiate an avalanche. There was a notable topographical influence on the occurrence of an avalanche at certain angles.