Human-made snow from a snow machine makes a more durable ski slope and is slower to melt, and hence is usually preferred for slalom courses. Related reading: Snow worries. Originally published by Cosmos as How do snow machines work? Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science.
Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today. Share Tweet. Today's snow guns are capable of filling ten trucks with the white stuff in one hour. Snow machine history An early snow machine was basically just a giant hose.
More on:. Jonica Newby Jonica Newby is a science writer, broadcaster and former veterinarian. With two partners, he developed an apparatus consisting of hoses, compressed air, and specially designed nozzles and delivered it to Mohawk.
Pierce filed for a patent in It takes 4. But from primitive nozzles, the technology has advanced to levels that the early developers could never have envisioned.
The machine at Blue Mountain looks more as if it belongs in the belly of a nuclear submarine. The system, most of which is supplied by TechnoAlpin, is fully automated but requires significant human maintenance. More resorts and longer seasons mean more stresses on water supplies, not to mention more carbon-spewing traffic on once-pristine mountain roads.
Some resorts in the West have even resorted to using wastewater, which has been a source of controversy and litigation. Ski resorts, badly. Skip to content Share Icon. Resorts say they have no choice but to turn to snowmakers because many of their customers choose to visit at traditional times, around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Automation has also helped to ensure that snow guns only run when it makes sense to do so. But about , litres of water are still needed to put a foot of snow on one acre of land. Acquiring this resource is another constant headache for resorts. Since the season, for example, Seven Springs ski resort in Pennsylvania has installed 1, metres of centimetre diameter piping to bring water from a million litre uphill lake down to its snow-generating machines.
Ski resorts should be pushing renewable energy, she argues. Many already rely heavily on it in some parts of the world. And at Zermatt, large banks of solar panels supply around 70 per cent of the power used by the ski resort and surrounding village.
Some resorts are making similar efforts. And yet the skiing industry as a whole has faced scrutiny because of the emissions associated with flights, road travel and the large hotels that host holidaymakers.
A return flight from London to Geneva, for example, pumps the equivalent of 0. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.
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