Avalanche (Avi) Practice Exam

In avalanche terrain, soft slabs often fail and propagate around you. When a cohesive slab sits on a weak layer, a disturbance can cause a fracture that spreads laterally across the slope. The crack front doesn’t just stay under where you are; it can arc and move around you, so the sliding block of snow can bury or engulf a person even if they weren’t directly on the initial fracture. That lateral propagation is why the warning emphasis is that soft slabs break around you.

This is why the correct idea emphasizes the surrounding area rather than something directly above, under, or beside your exact position. It underscores the importance of recognizing that the danger can come from the slab moving around you, not just from the snow directly on top of you.