Overrun length of avalanches overtopping catching dams: Cross‐comparison of small‐scale laboratory experiments and observations from full‐scale avalanches

Results from small‐scale and full‐scale experiments on avalanche–dam interactions are presented and compared. These experiments were analyzed with respect to the overrun length (i.e., the distance that the avalanche traveled beyond a catching dam). The differences and similarities in the results are discussed through a cross‐comparison of the small‐scale experiments and by comparing them with observations from Ryggfonn on avalanche–dam interactions. Further, we establish a simple relationship that appears to be valid for small‐scale experiments with granular materials as well as for full‐scale avalanche experiments. The relationship relates the overrun length to the speed of the approaching avalanche and the effective height of the catching dam.