Snow avalanche synchronicity in the Făgăraş Mountains. A regional tree-ring analysis

Abstract

The present study reconstructs snow avalanche chronologies for 17 forested paths located in the central northern part of the Făgăraş Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania. A total number of 956 affected trees were sampled and analyzed and more than 3600 growth disturbances were dated. The results reveal a mean return period of 4,5 years for major avalanche events in the region. By comparing the reconstructions on each path, several years show high inter-path synchronicity. In 1988, 1997 and 2005, 80% of the analyzed paths experience major events and more than 50% in 1967, 1992 and 2002