What is the side of a slab avalanche called?

• A. Crown
• B. Flank
• C. Bed surface
• D. Debris

Answer: (B)

The side of a slab avalanche is called the flank. In a slab avalanche, the snow breaks away along a weak layer, creating a fracture line at the top known as the crown. The moving block then travels downslope, and its lateral edges form the flanks—the sides of the release zone. The surface the slab slides on is the bed surface, and the debris is the deposit left behind at the runout. So the term flank specifically describes those side edges of the avalanche.