The Terrifying Real Science Of Avalanches

Avalanches are beautiful, majestic, and completely terrifying - this is a video all about the science of avalanches. Head to brilliant.org/veritasium to start your free 30-day trial, and get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
A massive thank you to everyone at Whistler Blackcomb for making this shoot happen - Dane Gergovich, David Iles, Alastair Collis, Erin Taylor, and everyone else on the ski patrol team. Thank you for keeping us safe!
A massive thank you to Bruce Tremper, Niko Schirmer, and Mark Smiley for their expertise and help with this video. We are truly grateful for your time and expertise.
Check out Niko's channel here -- it's easily some of the best skiing content on KZbin. / @nikolai_schirmer
If you have any intention of going into the backcountry, you have to read Bruce’s book - Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. It’s the Bible for this stuff, and the book that inspired us to make this video.
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Special thanks to our Patreon supporters! Join the community to help us keep our videos free, forever: ve42.co/PatreonDE
Adam Foreman, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bertrand Serlet, Bill Linder, Blake Byers, Burt Humburg, Chris Harper, Dave Kircher, David Johnston, Evgeny Skvortsov, Garrett Mueller, Gnare, gpoly, I. H., John H. Austin, Jr., john kiehl, Josh Hibschman, Juan Benet, KeyWestr, Kyi, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Martin, Matthias Wrobel, Max Paladino, Meekay, meg noah, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, Stephen Wilcox, Tj Steyn, Toni , TTST, Ubiquity Ventures, wolfee
If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically - ve42.co/SnatomsV
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References:
Tremper, B. (2001). Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain. Mountaineers Books. - ve42.co/Tremper2001
McClung, D. & Schaerer, P. (2006). The Avalanche Handbook. Mountaineers Books. - ve42.co/McClung2006
Hopfinger, E. J. (1983). Snow Avalanche Motion and Related Phenomena. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics. - ve42.co/Hopfinger1983
Schweizer, J. et al. (2003). Snow avalanche formation. Reviews of Geophysics. - ve42.co/Schweizer2003
Schweizer, J. et al. (2008). Review of spatial variability of snowpack properties and its importance for avalanche formation. Cold Regions Science and Technology. - ve42.co/Schweizer2008
Jamieson, B. (2006). Formation of refrozen snowpack layers and their role in slab avalanche release. Reviews of Geophysics. - ve42.co/Jamieson2006
Schweizer, J. et al. (2016). Avalance release 101. International Snow Science Workshop Proceeding. - ve42.co/Schweizer2016
Schweizer, J. (2008). Snow avalanche formation and dynamics. Cold Regions Science and Technology. - ve42.co/Schweizer2008-2
Images & Video:
Skiing and snowboarding footage by Niko Schirmer - ve42.co/NikoYT
World's Biggest Avalanche (c)Thom Goddard/All Star Films Ltd 2015. Thank you to the Thom Goddard Channel for use - ve42.co/ThomGoddard
Newspaper clippings via Newspapers.com - ve42.co/Newspapers
Video of a snow slab avalanche via Trottet, B. et al. (2022). Transition from sub-Rayleigh anticrack to supershear crack propagation in snow avalanches. Nature Physics. - ve42.co/Trottet2022
Remote Triggered Avalanche via Henry’s Avalanche Talk - Remote Triggering of an Avalanche
WW1 images via Brugnara, Y. et al. (2016). December 1916: Deadly Wartime Weather. Geographica Bernensia - ve42.co/Brugnara2016
Major Avalanches via Geomorphological Hazards - ve42.co/MajorAvi
White Friday avalanche illustration via Avalanches WIllow - ve42.co/WhiteFriday
White Friday aftermath via Lost In History - ve42.co/AviGraves
Field mass on Marmolada via Austrian National Library - ve42.co/AviMass
Yungay disaster via NOAA - ve42.co/Yungay
Yungay aftermath via AMC Museum - ve42.co/YungayAMC
Bruce Tremper Image via utavy - ve42.co/BruceTPic
Snowpack via SnowStudies.org - ve42.co/SnowStudies
Snowpack via Avalanche.org - ve42.co/SnowPackAvi
Snow crystals via Reiweger, I. (2011). Failure of weak snow layers. ETH. - ve42.co/Reiweger2011
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Directed by Petr Lebedev
Written by Petr Lebedev and Derek Muller
Edited by Peter Nelson (Additional editing by James Horsley)
Animated by Jakub Misiek, Fabio Albertelli, Alex Zepherin, and Alex Drakoulis
Additional Research by Gregor Čavloviċ
Filmed by Petr Lebedev and Ryan Regehr
FPV Drone by Mitch Winton
Produced by Petr Lebedev, Derek Muller, Han Evans, Giovanna Utichi, Rob Beasley Spence, Emily Taylor and Gregor Čavloviċ
Thumbnail by Ren Hurley and Peter Sheppard
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images and Pond5
Music from Epidemic Sound

[@Miftahul_786]

2 videos within 3 days?? Hell yeah

[@IIaNoiRe]

Normal

[@thebrownfrog]

This one is probably kinda boring tho

[@ayushsingh3484]

Hail yeah

[@universaltoons]

E

[@sarfarazahmed2662]

Bro getting full time

[@ericbaker8807]

Its wild he thought, "Dang I am lucky to be alive right now.... Oh well, back to work!" Lmaooo

[@SphereRS]

so you almost died and just went back to work? "yep, pretty much."

[@Irondragon1945]

....it's a way to deal with traumatic moments id guess

[@majordude9989]

Yall are scared geeks what is he supposed to do go back to his boss and say I can't work anymore today im absolutely unharmed? I have no hope for the future work force

[@richardhands904]

How long have you lived in your parents basement ​@@majordude9989

[@JesterAzazel]

@@majordude9989 After a workplace injury, an incident report should be filed and a medical checkup wouldn't hurt. Sometimes injuries go unchecked and get worse over time. That can be far worse for a worker's productivity than missing a day.

[@MichaelMarteens]

I'm a ski patroller in Alaska, and I want to thank you for bringing attention to how deadly avalanches are. Getting a beacon, probe, and avalanche shovel are great first steps, but you must make sure you are trained and practiced with each tool.

[@Schiweg]

This really cannot be emphasized enough! And it also depends heavily on the group and its dynamics. In an avalanche situation, every minute counts, and under stress there is no time to discuss how to deal with it.

[@zekejanczewski7275]

This is why I love Veretasium. They're out here asking the real wuestions, like " how do I write off a ski trip as a business expense?"

[@toysarealive1]

"The best way to avoid an avalanche is not to be caught in one.", he says while being surrounded by palm trees. This is why he has one of the best science channels.

[@hanswoast7]

Safety first, move into the tropics!

[@drewharrison6433]

I've survived every avalanche I've ever been in. In fact, every person alive has...😂

[@Mirtsal]

Why do you think he sent his producer and didn’t go himself?

[@k.r.99]

I mean, God literally says "Do not kill/harm yourself. Indeed God is the Allforgiving." How hard can it be to just obey this command and not put yourself in danger or harm yourself in any way?

[@gugusdada5148]

@@k.r.99 allforgiving unless you use your free will to not believe in him, then its endless torture for all of eternity.... lovely guy

[@Noebarrell]

I live in the Sierra Nevada. Last winter, a large avalanche buried a several mile section of highway under 30-50 feet of concrete-like debris, essentially leaving my town cutoff from the north. It took them a month to clear it and even longer to make the necessary repairs! This winter, a dear friend of mine was fully buried for nearly 13 minutes in a large Persistent Slab Avalanche. Miraculously, he survived with only scrapes and bruises. Spot on video and messaging!

[@destructionman1]

Why would you say "nearly 13 minutes"? Why not just say "12 minutes"?

[@thekinginyellow1744]

@@destructionman1 WTF difference does it make how he phrases it?

[@deanstanley2125]

It's like big sur being cut off from the highway due to landslides during the rainy season.

[@Novenae_CCG]

@@destructionman1 maybe it was something like 12 minutes and 50 seconds, which is closer to 13 minutes than 12 minutes.

[@dotonthehorizon9620]

​@@destructionman1because people make up over-specific details when they are lying :)

[@Underdoglemon]

I recently lost a good friend of mine in an avalanche. Thanks for making this video and informing people about this deadly danger!

[@david-sg6cw]

My condolences. Rest in Peace 🙏🕊️

[@skydude77]

Thank you for this. Side note, I work search and rescue myself but it's industrial confined space rescue. 65% of victims' deaths are would be rescuers. There's many types of rescue and disaster prevention. All of it stays with curious minds passionate about solving a problem for the greater good. The amount of science and engineering that goes into my equipment and tactics is deep.

[@randomname4726]

I've worked around controlled atmosphere environments and it was always made clear that we were never to go in even to save someone else for the same reason you said. Scary how quickly you pass out without oxygen.

[@Gingnose]

Are there specific reason that still human rescuers search instead of drones?

[@S_Carol]

The "hero" complex is too ingrained in society... Everyone should get basic first aid training in school to at least learn _why_ they should stay away when they can't reasonably ensure their own safety.

[@BambinoBunoBuno]

Sounds scary. You are a hero

[@suspicious241]

I would like to thank you and people like you for risking your lives to rescue my family full of engineers in the event where one of our dumb asses fucks up. cheers :)

[@jon4]

The recount by Bruce Tremper of his narrow escape from an avalanche is a sobering reminder of the raw power of nature.

[@dankyjoker]

Ya, nature just presses in on all of us all the time, every second of every day. It's easy to forget about. That's dude story was nuts however.

[@supersleepygrumpybear]

Which part: the cascading wall of snow, or the Homo Sapien-Sapien who kept tightening bolts after a near-death experience...?

[@ZxZNebula]

@@supersleepygrumpybearwhy did u say homo sapien..

[@oaklandredwood2054]

@@ZxZNebula because that's our species?

[@EIanordir]

​@@supersleepygrumpybearthe blond dude who worked as veritasium producer... forgot the name

[@n0pe213]

I’m an avalanche educator and apprentice mountain guide. I am only a minute in but can promise I will share this with students and am so glad you are covering what I find so fascinating

[@kevinkoenitzer9985]

Long-time backcountry skier here-I agree this is probably the most succinct and effective informational videos on this subject. Super cool to see.

[@sebastianwhalin743]

I agree, this seems to be a great intro for people just getting into the subject.

[@chrisgabrielli5032]

Came to the comments to say just this...Really appreciate the effort they put into getting the jargon correct and explaining the concepts and science in a succinct and digestible way. Super helpful for the new wave of backcountry users out there.

[@n0pe213]

@@chrisgabrielli5032 I was so impressed with it, you can tell they had people in the industry review it and help make the concepts more digestible. Obviously it has its gaps but it is a very succinct introduction to snow

[@philw6056]

I think he missed one dangerous layer structure. When snow piles up without weaknesses until the weight of the snow overcomes the friction.

[@KinseiSensei]

This is the most accurate and concise avalanche video I have ever seen. Former professional ski patroller/snow scientist.

[@BambinoBunoBuno]

Wow a daredevil!

[@adatewithnature8333]

the amount of thumbnail changes is wild

[@Raraoolala]

I'm not sure I am getting these references to thumbnails - when/where? Of this video, or on the end-cards?

[@cruzarreolaheat]

@@RaraoolalaThis video’s title/thumbnail is changing to test which combination causes the most traction. Watch Veritasium’s video about clickbait and he explains it

[@Acehan]

Still changing thunbnail and title daily rn 😂

[@elim.2862]

Huge round of applause for Jakub Misiek, Fabio Albertelli, Alex Zepherin, Alex Drakoulis, Ivy Tello, David Szakaly, Leigh Williamson, and more for making the wonderful illustrations and animations of these videos! They deserve a raise. The animations and illustrations are so awesome, well done, and informative. So huge props to them 👏👏👏

[@swinfough]

Reminds me of the animations from the documentary Letter from Masanjia on prime video

[@titan1235813]

Thanks for crediting them. It's great to know the names of those who make such a fantastic job, for us to enjoy these contents.

[@Neamow]

@@titan1235813 all the credits are in the description...

[@theundertaker5963]

As someone who has been caught in what turned out to be a 3 scale avalanche on the off side of the ski slope while snow hiking during winter it is every bit majestic and killer as you might think, and the damn thing is quiet, you would feel it more than you could hear it. A shovel and alert companions were the reason why I was saved from being buried alive. I honestly felt like a rag doll in a tumble dryer while it was sweeping me off my feet and down the mountain side.

[@Freeski802]

A D3 or R3?

[@ihategoogle2939]

You’re definitely a bot

[@Chriscsg89]

The footage in this in UNREAL. Thank you so much for another great video!

[@Marelin_catyXx]

Thank you for the great video and thank you for portraying the professional ski patrollers and forecasters in such a positive way❤

[@Felix-mk3sd]

2 videos within 4 days. What a treat.

[@mindcrafter5434]

Avalanche of videos

[@IAmCymepka]

@@mindcrafter5434 🤣

[@HakashinTruth]

A blessing

[@johnsausage]

@@mindcrafter5434 Best comment on this video!!

[@Kedai610]

Derek and Kendrick both cookin

[@tristancroise]

Veritasium video feat Nikolai Schirmer what a time to be alive

[@Datamining101]

Everyone should check out his work.

[@simonhill4021]

Yep, I'm a snowboarder. There's only one channel I Sub to in relation to snow sports and Nikolai's is it.

[@Real_MisterSir]

Never thought I'd live to see this crossover.

[@lulunomu]

exactly what i thought haha

[@robertwood5023]

Thank you for the great video and thank you for portraying the professional ski patrollers and forecasters in such a positive way!

[@KakuraZenom]

Thank you for raising the awarness of the avalanches. I am a pro skier going a lot in avalanche zone and I freak out to see so many people without any equipment... This is a matter of life and death but people just dont realize that !

[@SNDN_LN]

Thanks for being one of the best science communicators on KZbin. Channels like yours remind me why the sciences were my favorite subjects.

[@veritasium]

Thank you!

[@kelsyq]

*The best

[@wawathegoat05]

I love your channel​@@veritasium

[@cheeseburgermonkey7104]

Word

[@zacharyrohloff4259]

I agree, I used to be more of a mark rober ​fan but over the past few years I have found I never watch his stuff anymore. I keep coming back here and he never disappoints. @kelsyq

[@andybrinegar8861]

Ski instructor here, great explanation. I’ve been in light sluff, but slabs terrify me. Unless you reeeaaaallly know what you’re doing, stay on piste and don’t duck the rope. Important note: Most people who die in avalanches are advanced riders who get in over their heads. Beginners don’t have anything to worry about unless they are way outside their skill level

[@DrDeuteron]

where do you instruct? west of Colorado and south of Canada: no one says piste; rather "OB" = "off-piste".

[@Korulein]

@@DrDeuteron Off piste is a European term, so likely a Euro instructor.

[@schnaps1790]

@@DrDeuteron He works at an indoor ski simulator, in Loveland, Colorado it looks like a giant sloped treadmill :D Do not want to be rude, he probably is a good skiier

[@glacialis3329]

Going off piste and ducking the rope are two very different concepts. Europeans (the only set of people I know who refer to it as a piste and not a “groomer”) tend to be terrified of skiing off piste because they are afraid of the uncertainty that can come with it. But honestly if your hill is properly patrolled and you follow basic safety precautions (like not tree skiing alone) you will probably be fine. Heck the best skiing always comes from off-piste. If it’s wide open and visible, there’s no reason to not explore when it’s permitted. Now, ducking the fence implies dropping into an area specifically roped off by patrol for good reason. Obviously you shouldn’t be going into these areas, be it because they are out of bounds or closed for avalanche control.

[@OttoSaksala]

Beginners do worry and that keeps them alive. It is the lack of worry that kills the intermediate back country rider. It's the same with driving a car: the most dangerous time is when you think for the first time that you are a good driver.

[@KinseiSensei]

I took classes from Bruce Tremper at National Avalanche School as a ski patroller about a dozen years ago. Brilliant man.

[@TH_5094]

The long awaited sequel to These are the astoroids to worry about

[@hoomanbing]

Yep!

[@geemy9675]

what about asteroids triggering giant avalanches. or asteroids triggering earthquakes triggering avalanches?

[@RHLW]

@@geemy9675 Or an asteroid causign a earthquake, that triggers a tsunami, which hits a mountain, which suffers an avalanche, which rolls down to the coast, causing another tsunami the other way, which pops back up the asteroid and sends it flying back out into space to attack another world?

[@Xuanchiang]

He made one

[@sohamdas1250]

What about an avalanche causing an asteroid to crash? Huh? Why is no one talking about this, this could be a very dangerous situation and could claim many innocent lives😢.

[@Ri-ver]

Please remember that videos like these are no substitution for gaining real applicable knowledge and experience. The AIRE-1 certification is a great place to start learning about the didn't avalanche problems, how to predict them, and how to rescue people caught up in them.

[@ZetaPyro]

This. There was a short message about this in a caption towards the end, but this REALLY needed to be emphasized more.

[@firejay433]

As a snowmobiler, thank you for making a video about avalanche safety. I hope you were able to Inform other backcountry enthusiasts.

[@dnb9913]

lol Veritasium is testing to see how many titles can they change in 24hr

[@cavemanpretzel9520]

They made a video about this a while back, it's a decent way to A-B test for best title for viewer engagement lol. Always thought that was interesting

[@boopiechot]

An increase in quality AND frequency??? Unreal!! This is by far my favorite KZbin channel. Keep going Derek! You are a badass

[@soundscape26]

There was a one month interval between the 37 video and the Einstein one so his frequency will keep being quite non-linear.

[@boopiechot]

@@soundscape26 One month interval between videos is perfectly acceptable for me given the quality of it. I sometimes re-watch a video multiple times until I truly understand it. By that baseline, I think getting these extra videos is awesome.

[@SankhaSubhraBakshiexists]

I think a year ago he published 3 consecutive videos after a gap of 2 months. This is his usual pattern..

[@cartatowegs5080]

His Japanese swords video was not the best (felt like more of ooh katana than a video about science) but the last 2 have been good.

[@SuperDave-vj9en]

Personally, I would like to see him make one video per day!

[@LintuLumessa]

I am from Austria and didn't know about this Avalanche-warfare in WW1. 😱😱😱😱

[@byrnemeister2008]

WW1 in the alps was just incredible. Would recommend the KZbin channel WW1 day by day. 9 battles over the same pass with no progress from either side. Incredible.

[@danesorensen1775]

Yeah, the White War was insane. Well worth a deeper dive.

[@pepsimilkhotel]

Mulan moment

[@antrumkfpsalatschleuder8768]

Weird 😐 I am also Form Austria and I knew it since elementary school… well I’m from Tyrol maybe that’s the reason

[@Minette203]

I'm from Hungary and didn't know it either... all we need is an oblivious Italian guy in here now

[@TheEndlessVariables]

As an avid Ve content consumer and someone who has spent 100s of hours in the backcountry over the years, I have to say this video is stress inducing in a good way, there are a lot of good avalanche safety awareness sources on youtube, but this is the best overall I've seen. Another thing to mention about airbag backpacks is that they can decrease the chance of death from impacting a tree while in an avalanche. Radio communication and group location awareness are pretty critical, you only have a short amount of time to dig out your friends.

[@Marelin_catyXx]

I’m an avalanche educator and apprentice mountain guide. I am only a minute in but can promise I will share this with students and am so glad you are covering what I find so fascinating❤

[@Snakebite420]

So cool you got Nikolai Shirmer! That guy & his team do fantastic cinematography & incredible feats. So cool to include him. He's very knowledgable/experienced in this subject. Fantastic job!

[@safrimmons2956]

As an avid backcountry boarder this is immensely helpful! Please re promote this before next ski season

[@skpanderson]

If your'e already spending time in the backcountry and didn't know these ultra basics, you already messed up. Go get a certification before your next trip out.

[@goldentrout4811]

Thank you Derek and to your team. Your efforts are surely gonna propel the world forward with such informative yet understandable videos, so many more people are gonna learn easily from it and inspire them to do more for humanity. I feel like you are using the responsibility of having great looks and intelligence to give back in this way, even if you may not feel like doing it. I appreciate your efforts man!

[@marypotter_2010]

your videos are the ABSOLUTE BEST! So worth the time! Super happy i found this channel. You definitely deserve sooo much more recognition! Please also make more videos related to space!

[@Mishadagoat]

Great job on making this video. As a full time Heli-Ski Guide and Avalanche Professional living in the mountains of Western Canada. I've taught these corses for yrs. This one was well done for the novelist and can hopefully help those who read about avalanche fatalities have a better understanding to how the snow pack develops and behaves under certain criteria.Great awareness video!

[@Shinzon23]

....you mean "novice"...?

[@atripathi6349]

You mean ' courses ' ....

[@Mishadagoat]

Yes I meant courses (Siri)

[@Mishadagoat]

Thx for the sp check!

[@JayMaverick]

As a very hobbyist snowboarder, I once saw an avalanche team going up in Italy/Alps. It was a refreshing dose of reality that the mountains are no joke and these people work hard to keep ignorant tourists like myself safe.

[@johniccia6175]

Always excited when I see you upload a new video.

[@EricSheffey]

Really great breakdown of the basics of avy science. Bruce Tremper's book is an absolute must read for anyone wanting to further their avy education. I triggered a relatively small D1 windslab while climbing in the alpine back in November, and even that was a little spooky.

[@TheTekknician]

Absolutely commendable, realizing the importance of your work (especially so after such an ordeal), being the safety of others. He acknowledges like I do with my mistakes, learn from them and move on. I respect this man thoroughly.

[@jaredjones1346]

As someone who has done some avalanche training this is an amazing introduction to the world of snow science! Awesome work! Also love seeing a Nikolai x Veritasium crossover ❤

[@kaibeasley5965]

Bro this video has had 3 titles in the last 24 hours

[@UnknownSteve102]

There probably doing it to get more views because the algorithm might be tricked into giving more views if you change the title of the video a lot

[@Shapiritito]

And 3 thumbnails.. lol

[@nikolapetrov7970]

I believe that the current one is actually 4th

[@niczim123]

A lot of youtubers change the title and thumbnail several times in the the first couple days after posting. They monitor the analytics to see what combination gets the most views and then stick with that.

[@EatsLikeADuck]

So what?

[@brianbuccellato1532]

Amazing video, thank you. This is the best summary of avy knowledge I've seen. I'm a huge snowboarder, mostly Colorado resorts. Gotta understand these dangers.

[@vgloco]

Science fun fact: An avalanche airbag keeps you afloat NOT because of greater buoyancy, but because of the "Brazil Nut Effect". This means that greater objects tend to rise regardless of their density. Just like as in a cereal bowl, the largest chunks always are on top if you shake it. Awesome video!

[@SoloLevellor]

Do you know what is buoyancy? do you know how big boat floats ?? do you know displacement factor in buoyancy??? do you know about size factor in buoyancy???? Do you know big size means big displacement in buoyancy????? Do you know anything about buoyancy?????? Nah it's brazil nutty effect

[@deltalima6703]

Is there any snow in brazil?

[@Foliaire]

just like a bowling ball in a bag of rice will float when shaken as it is much larger than the grains. and the only reason it's called "airbag" is we picked air as the cheapest of all filling materials, not for purposes of floating at all. thanks for spreading big facts

[@vgloco]

@@SoloLevellor Feel free to educate me!

[@jauho7483]

@@SoloLevellor Granular convection aka Brazil Nut Effect is different from buoyancy. Larger object can be more dense, yet it still stays on top. Smaller particles fill air slot more easily, and that's why they sink at bottom, and larger objects come on top

[@fuurinkazan164]

I've snowboarded for 25 years (in BC!) and this is the single best video about avalanches I have ever seen. Thank you for making this, I hope it saves some lives!

[@aaronholmes1914]

All your episodes are great, but I particularly enjoyed this one. Science wrapped in an appealing subculture. Keep it up. I do agree with another comment I saw though. Beyond just having the gear, courses, education, and learning from experienced backcountry enthusiasts is absolutely vital.

[@eriknodland8352]

The call in from Nickolas!! Love it. And 100% correct, we talk about sluff management, but I don’t really factor it into avy planning more than in no fall areas

[@NeuroPulse]

8:05 Veritasium just casually shows some of the most goosebumping footage I've ever seen and moves along like it's a normal day.

[@ViktorTve]

i wanted to see it to the end, that was insane

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Just like Bruce Tremprer getting back up and working on the bolts again.

[@aimanrazi4254]

Veritasium is the channel that made me fall in love with science...Thank you for changing my life... Will always support this channel❤❤❤

[@ansamerch]

As an avalanche educator and former whistlerblackcomb ski patroller, great video!

[@lakshyabhagwat9042]

somehow lately it feels like veritasium just brought back the old shows we used to watch on history tv or discovery and these feel so great, i had been craving a video telling something more about black holes and relativity and i spent the whole day thinking after watvhing that one and this one is just great too im glad i found this channel

[@Calskidal]

Derek locked in and gave us two videos in three days what a G

[@jackelewish1568]

A G major 7 to be precise.

[@guigoinz112]

@@jackelewish1568 True o7. Gotta salute a real G for that!

[@thedeesus4249]

Your videos almost always represent the most educational thing I’ve bumped into on any given day. Thank you for this!

[@amateurshooter6054]

Thanks Derek Great Video. I was a snow cat operator at a ski resort in Flagstaff AZ. I groom snow at night for 5 years. I was in 2 avalanches. The first was small and swam my machine out.. The second was bigger and got me. Buried my cat to about half door. Took 4 guys and three other cars 4 hours to dig it out.

[@sammyd5442]

For the non-backcountry riding viewer--avalanches can happen to hikers and snowshoers too! For sure a lot less likely, but even if you're not hiking something steep, you might be traversing a slope, on a ridge between slopes, on a cornice (hopefully not), or connected to a steep slope. It's good to check conditions even if you're "just" going for a snowshoe or winter hike, especially after a storm! Excellent video!

[@puddle.studios]

Petr is such a good fit for ur channel, I love his energy always excited to learn and explore. insanely high production quality as always

[@-OBJ]

Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain is a great read! Glad to see it here

[@ACougarSwagnum]

you can tell the producer is some venture capitalist doosh who just loves his skiing in ASPEN lol so hes like ima make this PHD scientist talk about SNOW

[@guigoinz112]

@@ACougarSwagnum This is your second copy + paste comment I've seen. I don't know if you're doing it with evil intent or just too lazy to write a new one?

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

And now I have Bee Gees in my head.

[@legojoey17]

Only a few months ago, a friend (and avalache safety instructor / mountaineering guide) from Whistler area was caught and killed in an avalanche during ice climbing near Roger's pass. I believe it was a wind slab and caught the party by surprise. Thank you for the informative coverage of this often overlooked topic, and it was a particularly emotional video

[@ImGaming4U]

when on a snowboarding camp in Switzerland I remember hearing the controlled detonations near the slopes going off in the morning. So cool

[@chrissnell6334]

Love that he's doing a video on snow while in a tropical location... lol "I'll send my producer..."

[@abhishekpatra3816]

Two legendary videos back to back within a week... ❤❤❤

[@JS-yj7ow]

That was a good treatment of avalanche science and awareness. Something ALL lift skiers need to watch before ducking boundaries.

[@jeweludoudo6618]

2 videos within 3 days is such a treat from veritasium

[@ACougarSwagnum]

you can tell the producer is some venture capitalist doosh who just loves his skiing in ASPEN lol so hes like ima make this PHD scientist talk about SNOW

[@bob15479]

I had the joy of driving the most avalanche prone highway in USA 5x a day for work during the biggest avalanche cycle on record. It was great.

[@Jamessik0809]

Just wanted to give much appreciation for Petr, it's really heartwarming seeing how much work he puts into his trips (especially in Japan), he's always so humble yet very interested in what the expert has to say, it's great seeing him again!

[@chilli_Tea]

the original title was: "These are the avalanches to look out for" and the thumbnail had a red circle encompassing a visual avalance of falling snow, with an arrow pointing at it with the caption 'not this!'

[@TheShortScottishGuy]

The title and the thumbnail have changed so many times in the last few days, I get why but it kind of puts me off wanting to watch

[@brock3553]

this same thing happened with his einstein video recently. the alternate title was something like these are the asteroid's to watch out for with the same red circle you describe. lol

[@chubs2312]

​@@TheShortScottishGuyI know why it puts me off. I'm going to watch a video from this channel because I like the content but if the title and thumbnail describe what's in the video in a click bait manner I'm put off because I know that's not what I'll find in the video

[@TerrorTerros]

10:10 Very necessary to show the words, good call 🤣

[@VisibilityO2]

Sometimes unstoppable layers are weak and can't hold together. New snowfall, rain, or changes in temperature can tip the balance and cause a weak layer to collapse. This disrupts the unstable snowpack and gets the avalanche going . After all , this guy get to enjoy the snow in this harsh summer ⛱️🌞

[@jayy_kayyy]

I worked as a lift operator at WB last year and I gotta say the patrollers are the coolest people in the world. Exceptionally talented and brave individuals was a pleasure to work alongside them

[@davidoconnell122]

I love a cross over of my favourite KZbinrs. Nice surprise from Nikolai Schirmer. His videos are great, give them a gander. Last year I finished my masters in Data Science with a project on predicting avalanches from weather station data using machine learning. The model was trying to minimize false negatives (ie it says it’s safe when it’s not) and it reached a success rate of 80%. I summarized this findings as “I wouldn’t bet my life on it” 😅

[@wenruto]

Hey Derek! Just wanted to say that i really appreciate the work you are doing. Pls keep it up!

[@TheOfficialCasso]

Damn. I was not expecting to be blessed so early in May by getting 2 videos within 3 days 💯

[@xupsguy55616x]

I took my first avalanche safety course this spring and I really appreciate how your video covered a large portion of what we learned. One thing I didn't realize before the course is that airbags aren't always the best tool in the back country. If you deploy an airbag you're committing to riding the avalanche and your possibility of self-arresting is gone. Stay safe!

[@Kharris_photo]

As a ski filmmaker myself I gotta say this video is amazing. Really well done explaining how avalanches work

[@Soulstarrr]

I don't live near snow and it doesn't really snow, so it's always neat to see and learn about it.

[@jan_1312]

Haha, never expected to see Nikolai Schirmer in a Vertasium video but I'm glad it happened :D

[@ACougarSwagnum]

you can tell the producer is some venture capitalist doosh who just loves his skiing in ASPEN lol so hes like ima make this PHD scientist talk about SNOW

[@jan_1312]

Even if true, it's a great thing this video was made to give a wider range of people at least a basic understanding about avalanches. In Europe most of the terrain isn't avalanche controlled and you wouldn't believe how many clueless people still go out there.

[@ACougarSwagnum]

@@jan_1312 nah im just being silly it tis serious scare

[@JJ-yb4rc]

Yo didn't realise you moved to Australia, mate. Welcome to the club man. Love your videos so much, because I'm too slack to sort out Brilliant.not sure what state your in but I'm in QLD so enjoy your winter be it snow or mildly cool wind, lmao. Thx again.

[@SmokeyChipOatley]

16:13 Props to the camera drone operator! This video was chock full of amazing shots but this one in particular was incredible 👌😎👍

[@Good-ut8ux]

Thats the kind of 'talk' we need Great job.....❤

[@schrodingerscat1325]

guys Derek just changed the thumbnail within an hour 😂

[@konradurban3181]

Veritasium avalanche video generally really really good for a basic overview and the best video i've seen on the topic. Really well made. But I wish he consulted the final script with an avvy expert because one piece of advice could really really get ppl killed. He says that skiers test terrain by dropping cornices onto the snow; obviously, if you start stomping on a cornice you could fall with it and be dead. Many ppl died this way....

[@JonnyRay82]

I love here in Vancouver near Whistler Blackcombe. Remembering this video might save my life I've day when I'm skiing.

[@illuminum8576]

It's been 7 minutes and most of the comments say how amazing the video and the end is. Bots on KZbin are going crazy

[@McDonaldsCalifornia]

Not sure but I think Veritasium has early access for his patreon supporters

[@gregoryturk1275]

Bots are good for the scammers

[@kaukon]

Title and thumbnail changed like 5 times😂 Even his channel page shows 2 different

[@MonkeysEmperor]

Amazing as always, so proud of you all

[@Turnoutburndown]

Amazing video, important topic. Hopefully it will inspire those who like to get out in the snow to learn more.

[@Abhay0505]

Here before Derek changes the thumbnail for the 4th time 😂

[@VictrixRL]

The 5th thumbnail/title change got me good job lol

[@Dragonfly0987]

One of the best introductions to avalanches I've seen. 👍

[@sneeuwplankers]

Thanks for this clear video! This video is a true inspiration to make one ourselves in Dutch, in the future!

[@ractmo]

I think this video is not performing well for some reason. Veritasium has changed the thumbnails many times and title too now. But this video is a banger. Good job man!

[@mr_tony_stark]

bro has changed the title and thumbnail more times than me as shapeshifter I did when i used to play amogn us

[@kiereluurs1243]

Who?

[@e.solano3963]

This can and will literally save people's lives. Great video today!!!

[@WolfCornwall]

Hi Muller, I’m immensely glad to see your use of metric units! I can never understand those stinkin imperial units

[@whitepepsi9903]

Every single year of high school sciences your videos have been used in class

[@e8ghtmileshigh1]

Teachers should be called instructors.

[@xyzabc4574]

Producers: "We're doing a video on snow avalanches." Derek: "I'm gonna work remote for this one. I'll upload my video when I'm done."

[@thecma3]

I HIGHLY recommend Bruce's book. It should be read by everyone who recreates in the winter backcountry. I've taken to re-reading it every season.

[@lawrencefrost9063]

16:29 That is the best shot you have ever done on this channel par none. It reminds me of lava. Astounding!

[@Daniel-tq2re]

I just noticed you changed the name of the video😅

[@reallifedoor4536]

What was it before?

[@klankowski]

how many times a day does the name and thumbnail of this video change??