Erich Peitzsch, Ph.D
My main interests lie in the realm of snow and ice.
Research Interests
Previous projects include investigating wet snow avalanche processes, such as water movement in the snowpack and its implications for wet slab avalanches. Working as an avalanche forecaster for the spring opening of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park allows me to continue work on wet snow avalanche projects such as glide slab avalanches. I am also interested in investigating ecological change associated with avalanches, avalanche runout probability, and the relationship between climate and avalanches. Other research interests include monitoring mass balance of small mountain catchment glaciers.
Professional Experience
Supervisory Research Physical Scientist, USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, West Glacier, Montana
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Earth Sciences, Snow Science. 2020. Montana State University, Bozeman
MS. Earth Sciences (Snow Science). 2009. Montana State University, Bozema
BA. Environmental Studies. 2000. Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Filter Total Items: 38
Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier
Local topographically driven processes – such as wind drifting, avalanching, and shading – are known to alter the relationship between the mass balance of small cirque glaciers and regional climate. Yet partitioning such local effects from regional climate influence has proven difficult, creating uncertainty in the climate representativeness of some glaciers. We address this problem for...
Authors
Caitlyn Florentine, Joel Harper, Daniel Fagre, Johnnie Moore, Erich Peitzsch
On the exchange of sensible and latent heat between the atmosphere and melting snow On the exchange of sensible and latent heat between the atmosphere and melting snow
The snow energy balance is difficult to measure during the snowmelt period, yet critical for predictions of water yield in regions characterized by snow cover. Robust simplifications of the snowmelt energy balance can aid our understanding of water resources in a changing climate. Research to date has demonstrated that the net turbulent flux (FT) between a melting snowpack and the...
Authors
Paul C. Stoy, Erich Peitzsch, David Wood, Daniel Rottinghaus, Georg Wohlfahrt, Michael Goulden, Helen Ward
Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015 Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015
Glacier mass balance measurements help to provide an understanding of the behavior of glaciers and their response to local and regional climate. In 2005 the United States Geological Survey established a surface mass balance monitoring program on Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA. This project is the first quantitative study of mass changes of a glacier in the US northern Rocky Mountains and...
Authors
Adam Clark, Daniel Fagre, Erich Peitzsch, Blase Reardon, Joel Harper
Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches
Structure from Motion (SfM), a photogrammetric technique, has been used extensively and successfully in many fields including geosciences over the past few years to create 3D models and high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from aerial or oblique photographs. SfM has recently been used in a limited capacity in snow avalanche research and shows promise as a tool for broader...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Case study: 2016 Natural glide and wet slab avalanche cycle, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Case study: 2016 Natural glide and wet slab avalanche cycle, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
The Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) is the premier tourist attraction in Glacier National Park, Montana. The GTSR also traverses through and under 40 avalanche paths which pose a hazard to National Park Service (NPS) road crews during the annual spring snow plowing operation. Through a joint collaboration between the NPS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a forecasting program primarily...
Authors
Jacob Hutchinson, Erich Peitzsch, Adam Clark
Terrain parameters of glide snow avalanches and a simple spatial glide snow avalanche model Terrain parameters of glide snow avalanches and a simple spatial glide snow avalanche model
Glide snow avalanches are dangerous and difficult to predict. Despite substantial recent research there is still inadequate understanding regarding the controls of glide snow avalanche release. Glide snow avalanches often occur in similar terrain or the same locations annually, and repeat observations and prior work suggest that specific topography may be critical. Thus, to gain a better
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Assessing the importance of terrain parameters on glide avalanche release Assessing the importance of terrain parameters on glide avalanche release
Glide snow avalanches are dangerous and difficult to predict. Despite recent research there is still a lack of understanding regarding the controls of glide avalanche release. Glide avalanches often occur in similar terrain or the same locations annually and observations suggest that topography may be critical. Thus, to gain an understanding of the terrain component of these types of...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Examining spring wet slab and glide avalanche occurrence along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Examining spring wet slab and glide avalanche occurrence along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Wet slab and glide snow avalanches are dangerous and yet can be particularly difficult to predict. Wet slab and glide avalanches are presumably triggered by free water moving through the snowpack and the subsequent interaction with layer or ground interfaces, and typically occur in the spring during warming and subsequent melt periods. In Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, both types...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre, Blase Reardon
Timing of wet snow avalanche activity: An analysis from Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Timing of wet snow avalanche activity: An analysis from Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.
Wet snow avalanches pose a problem for annual spring road opening operations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. A suite of meteorological metrics and snow observations has been used to forecast for wet slab and glide avalanche activity. However, the timing of spring wet slab and glide avalanches is a difficult process to forecast and requires...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Time lapse photography as an approach to understanding glide avalanche activity Time lapse photography as an approach to understanding glide avalanche activity
Avalanches resulting from glide cracks are notoriously difficult to forecast, but are a recurring problem for numerous avalanche forecasting programs. In some cases glide cracks are observed to open and then melt away in situ. In other cases, they open and then fail catastrophically as large, full-depth avalanches. Our understanding and management of these phenomena are currently limited...
Authors
Jordy Hendrikx, Erich Peitzsch, Daniel Fagre
Avalanche ecology and large magnitude avalanche events: Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Avalanche ecology and large magnitude avalanche events: Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Large magnitude snow avalanches play an important role ecologically in terms of wildlife habitat, vegetation diversity, and sediment transport within a watershed. Ecological effects from these infrequent avalanches can last for decades. Understanding the frequency of such large magnitude avalanches is also critical to avalanche forecasting for the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR). In January...
Authors
Daniel Fagre, Erich Peitzsch
Using GIS and Google Earth for the creation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Avalanche Atlas, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Using GIS and Google Earth for the creation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Avalanche Atlas, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Snow avalanche paths are key geomorphologic features in Glacier National Park, Montana, and an important component of mountain ecosystems: they are isolated within a larger ecosystem, they are continuously disturbed, and they contain unique physical characteristics (Malanson and Butler, 1984). Avalanches impact subalpine forest structure and function, as well as overall biodiversity...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Daniel Fagre, Mark Dundas
Non-USGS Publications**
Peitzsch, E. 2008. Wet slab avalanches: theory and recent research…or what do we really know about wet slabs?, The Avalanche Review, 26:4, 20-21.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 19
Filter Total Items: 38
Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier Local topography increasingly influences the mass balance of a retreating cirque glacier
Local topographically driven processes – such as wind drifting, avalanching, and shading – are known to alter the relationship between the mass balance of small cirque glaciers and regional climate. Yet partitioning such local effects from regional climate influence has proven difficult, creating uncertainty in the climate representativeness of some glaciers. We address this problem for...
Authors
Caitlyn Florentine, Joel Harper, Daniel Fagre, Johnnie Moore, Erich Peitzsch
On the exchange of sensible and latent heat between the atmosphere and melting snow On the exchange of sensible and latent heat between the atmosphere and melting snow
The snow energy balance is difficult to measure during the snowmelt period, yet critical for predictions of water yield in regions characterized by snow cover. Robust simplifications of the snowmelt energy balance can aid our understanding of water resources in a changing climate. Research to date has demonstrated that the net turbulent flux (FT) between a melting snowpack and the...
Authors
Paul C. Stoy, Erich Peitzsch, David Wood, Daniel Rottinghaus, Georg Wohlfahrt, Michael Goulden, Helen Ward
Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015 Glaciological measurements and mass balances from Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA, years 2005–2015
Glacier mass balance measurements help to provide an understanding of the behavior of glaciers and their response to local and regional climate. In 2005 the United States Geological Survey established a surface mass balance monitoring program on Sperry Glacier, Montana, USA. This project is the first quantitative study of mass changes of a glacier in the US northern Rocky Mountains and...
Authors
Adam Clark, Daniel Fagre, Erich Peitzsch, Blase Reardon, Joel Harper
Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches Using structure from motion photogrammetry to examine glide snow avalanches
Structure from Motion (SfM), a photogrammetric technique, has been used extensively and successfully in many fields including geosciences over the past few years to create 3D models and high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) from aerial or oblique photographs. SfM has recently been used in a limited capacity in snow avalanche research and shows promise as a tool for broader...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Case study: 2016 Natural glide and wet slab avalanche cycle, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Case study: 2016 Natural glide and wet slab avalanche cycle, Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
The Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) is the premier tourist attraction in Glacier National Park, Montana. The GTSR also traverses through and under 40 avalanche paths which pose a hazard to National Park Service (NPS) road crews during the annual spring snow plowing operation. Through a joint collaboration between the NPS and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a forecasting program primarily...
Authors
Jacob Hutchinson, Erich Peitzsch, Adam Clark
Terrain parameters of glide snow avalanches and a simple spatial glide snow avalanche model Terrain parameters of glide snow avalanches and a simple spatial glide snow avalanche model
Glide snow avalanches are dangerous and difficult to predict. Despite substantial recent research there is still inadequate understanding regarding the controls of glide snow avalanche release. Glide snow avalanches often occur in similar terrain or the same locations annually, and repeat observations and prior work suggest that specific topography may be critical. Thus, to gain a better
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Assessing the importance of terrain parameters on glide avalanche release Assessing the importance of terrain parameters on glide avalanche release
Glide snow avalanches are dangerous and difficult to predict. Despite recent research there is still a lack of understanding regarding the controls of glide avalanche release. Glide avalanches often occur in similar terrain or the same locations annually and observations suggest that topography may be critical. Thus, to gain an understanding of the terrain component of these types of...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Examining spring wet slab and glide avalanche occurrence along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Examining spring wet slab and glide avalanche occurrence along the Going-to-the-Sun Road corridor, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Wet slab and glide snow avalanches are dangerous and yet can be particularly difficult to predict. Wet slab and glide avalanches are presumably triggered by free water moving through the snowpack and the subsequent interaction with layer or ground interfaces, and typically occur in the spring during warming and subsequent melt periods. In Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, both types...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre, Blase Reardon
Timing of wet snow avalanche activity: An analysis from Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Timing of wet snow avalanche activity: An analysis from Glacier National Park, Montana, USA.
Wet snow avalanches pose a problem for annual spring road opening operations along the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR) in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. A suite of meteorological metrics and snow observations has been used to forecast for wet slab and glide avalanche activity. However, the timing of spring wet slab and glide avalanches is a difficult process to forecast and requires...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Jordy Hendrikx, Daniel Fagre
Time lapse photography as an approach to understanding glide avalanche activity Time lapse photography as an approach to understanding glide avalanche activity
Avalanches resulting from glide cracks are notoriously difficult to forecast, but are a recurring problem for numerous avalanche forecasting programs. In some cases glide cracks are observed to open and then melt away in situ. In other cases, they open and then fail catastrophically as large, full-depth avalanches. Our understanding and management of these phenomena are currently limited...
Authors
Jordy Hendrikx, Erich Peitzsch, Daniel Fagre
Avalanche ecology and large magnitude avalanche events: Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Avalanche ecology and large magnitude avalanche events: Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Large magnitude snow avalanches play an important role ecologically in terms of wildlife habitat, vegetation diversity, and sediment transport within a watershed. Ecological effects from these infrequent avalanches can last for decades. Understanding the frequency of such large magnitude avalanches is also critical to avalanche forecasting for the Going-to-the-Sun Road (GTSR). In January...
Authors
Daniel Fagre, Erich Peitzsch
Using GIS and Google Earth for the creation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Avalanche Atlas, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA Using GIS and Google Earth for the creation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road Avalanche Atlas, Glacier National Park, Montana, USA
Snow avalanche paths are key geomorphologic features in Glacier National Park, Montana, and an important component of mountain ecosystems: they are isolated within a larger ecosystem, they are continuously disturbed, and they contain unique physical characteristics (Malanson and Butler, 1984). Avalanches impact subalpine forest structure and function, as well as overall biodiversity...
Authors
Erich Peitzsch, Daniel Fagre, Mark Dundas
Non-USGS Publications**
Peitzsch, E. 2008. Wet slab avalanches: theory and recent research…or what do we really know about wet slabs?, The Avalanche Review, 26:4, 20-21.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.