Johan Gaume
Biography
I started my scientific career in 2008 at the Grenoble University in the IRSTEA laboratory where I did my master's thesis on the discrete element modeling of the rheology of dense granular materials. In the same lab, I followed with a PhD on the numerical modeling of slab avalanche release using a combined mechanical-statistical approach.
In 2013 I obtained a postdoc position at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos where I was in charge of developing and applying numerical models to improve the evaluation of avalanche release conditions and thus avalanche forecasting. While my PhD was mostly theoretical and numerical, my postdoc in Davos allowed me to gain a practical expertise by participating in laboratory and field experiments which helped to validate the models I develop.
In 2016, I was awarded a SNF grant to work as a research and teaching associate in CRYOS at EPFL on the multiscale modeling of snow and avalanche processes. I develop discrete approaches to model snow micro-structure deformation and failure in order to evaluate constitutive snow models to be used at a larger scale in continuum models.
In 2017, I will be a Visiting Scholar at UCLA to work on a Material Point Method (MPM) for snow avalanche simulation and rendering. The MPM model was initially developed for the Disney movie "Frozen" and will be enriched to model the release and flow of slab avalanches.
Current work
-Multiscale modeling of snow and avalanche processes (SNF Ambizione)
-A Material Point Method for snow avalanche simulation (SNF International Short Visit)
-Discrete element modeling of snowflake fragmentation and wind-blowing snow
-Principal organizer of the SLAM3 workshop (Slab Avalanche Multiscale Mechanical Modeling), Davos.
-Co-supervision of 2 PhD students (impact avalanche-obstacle - dynamic crack propagation in snow)
-Scientific reviewer for Cold Region Science and Technology, Journal of Glaciology, Water Resource Research, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of Geophysocal Research, The Cryosphere.
-Co-convener of the session "Snow and snow cover processes". EGU 2016-2017
-Lecturer in the master course "Physics and Hydrology of Snow". EPFL
CV
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9k6cf0y0r3xgtna/CV_Johan_Gaume_web_EPFL.pdf?dl=0
Parcours professionnel
| Research and teaching associate | CRYOS | EPFL | 2016-today |
| Visiting Scholar | Department of Mathematics | UCLA, Los Angeles, California | 2017 |
| Guest scientist | WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland | 2016-today | |
| Postdoc | WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos, Switzerland | 2013-2016 | |
| PhD student | IRSTEA | 2009-2012 |
Education
| PhD | Mechanics | University of Grenoble | 2009-2012 |
| Master | Mechanics and Physics | Grenoble Institute of Technology | 2008 |
| Engineering degree | Soils, solids and fluids mechanics | ENSE3, Grenoble Institute of Technology | 2005-2008 |
| Maths Sup - Maths Spé | Mathematics and Physics | Lycée Victor Hugo, Besançon | 2003-2005 |
Publications
Peer-reviewed
| Gaume J, Loewe H, Tan S, Tsang L. Physical Review E (in press). 2017 |
Scaling laws for the mechanics of loose and cohesive granular materials based on Baxterâs sticky hard spheres |
| Gaume J and Reuter B Cold Reg. Sci. Technol. (in press). 2017 |
Assessing snow instability in skier-triggered snow slab avalanches by combining failure initiation and crack propagation |
| Comola F, Kok J, Gaume J, Paterna E, Lehning M. Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL073039. 2017. |
Fragmentation of wind-blown snow crystals |
| Gaume J, van Herwijnen A, Chambon G, Wever N, Schweizer J. The Cryosphere, 11, 217-228. 2017. |
Snow fracture in relation to slab avalanche release: critical state for the onset of crack propagation |
| Schweizer J, Reuter B, van Herwijnen A, Richter B, Gaume J. The Cryosphere, 10, 2637-2653. 2016 |
Temporal evolution of crack propagation propensity in snow in relation to slab and weak layer properties |
| van Herwijnen A, Gaume J, Bair E, Reuter B, Birkeland K, Schweizer J. J. Glaciol., 62(236), 997-1007, 2016 |
Estimating the effective elastic modulus and specific fracture energy of snowpack layers from field experiments |
| Monti F*, Gaume J*, Schweizer J. (* co-first authors). Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 775-788. 2016 |
Snow instability evaluation: calculating the skier-induced stress in a multi-layered snowpack |
| Gaume J, van Herwijnen A, Chambon G, Birkeland K, Schweizer J. The Cryosphere, 9, 1915-1932. 2015. |
Modeling of crack propagation in weak snowpack layers using the discrete element method. |
| Steinkogler W, Gaume J, Loewe H, Sovilla B, Lehning M. J. Geophys. Res., 120, 1107-1126. 2015 |
Granulation of snow: From tumbler experiments to discrete element simulations. |
| Reiweger I*, Gaume J*, Schweizer J. (* co-first authors) Geophys. Res. Lett., 42, 1427â1432, 2015 |
A new mixed mode failure criterion for weak snowpack layers. |
| Gaume J, Chambon G, Eckert N, Naaim M, Schweizer J. The Cryosphere, 9, 795-804, 2014 |
Influence of weak layer heterogeneity and slab properties on slab tensile failure propensity and avalanche release areas., |
| Gaume J, Schweizer J, van Herwijnen A, Chambon G, Reuter B, Eckert N, Schweizer J. J. Geophys. Res, 119, 2014 |
Evaluation of slope stability with respect to snowpack spatial variability. |
| Podolskiy E, Chambon G, Naaim M, Gaume J. Nat. Hazard Earth Syst. Sci. |
Evaluation of rupture Mohr-Coulomb parameters through finite element modelling of shaking plateform experiments |
| Podolskiy E, Chambon G, Naaim M, Gaume J. J. Glaciol., 59(218), 1189-1201, 2013 |
A review of finite element modelling in snow mechanics |
| Gaume J, Chambon G, Eckert N, Naaim M. J. Glaciol., 59(215), 423-437, 2013. |
Influence of weak layer heterogeneity on slab avalanche release: Application to the evaluation of avalanche release depths. |
| Gaume J, Eckert N, Bel L, Chambon G, Naaim M. Water Resour. Res., 49(2), 1079-1098, 2013 |
Mapping extreme snowfalls in the French Alps using max-stable processes |
| Gaume J, Chambon G, Eckert N, Naaim M. Geophys. Res. Lett., 39(12), L12401, 2012. |
Relative influence of mechanical and meteorological factors on slab avalanche release depth distributions |
| Eckert N, Coleou C, Castebrunet H, Deschatres M, Giraud G, Gaume J. Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 64, 119-136, 2011 |
Cross comparison of meteorological and avalanche data for characterizing avalanche cycles: the example of December 2008 in the eastern part of the southern French Alps |
| Eckert N, Gaume J, Castebrunet H. Procedia Environmental sciences, 7, 224-229, 2011 |
Using spatial and spatial-extreme statistics to characterize snow avalanche cycles |
| Gaume J, Chambon G, Naaim M. Phys. Rev. E., 84(5), 051304, 2011 |
Quasistatic to inertial transition in granular materials and the role of fluctuations |
PDFs: Researchgate profile
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Johan_GaumeEnseignement & Phd
Enseignement
- Environmental Sciences and Engineering,
Programmes doctoraux
- Doctoral Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Doctoral Program in Mechanics
Doctorants
Cours
Physics and hydrology of snow
Ce cours aborde les principes de la physique et de l'hydrologie de la neige, les interactions neige-atmosphère, et de la modélisation. Le cours transmet une compréhension des processus physiques de la neige et ses interfaces (air et sol), y compris techni... 