A five-metre-wide scaled model of the Swiss landscape has been constructed to simulate how avalanche debris flows move.
In May 2025, a devastating landslide and avalanche struck the Swiss village of Blatten. Massive rockfalls from a nearby peak crashed onto the glacier, triggering ice and debris to thunder down the slope at 200 km/h. Most of the village was completely destroyed by the impact.
The disaster inspired researchers at Swiss university ETH Zurich and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos to build a detailed, scaled replica of the Blatten region.
Using this physical model, the team can assess how landslides move through the mountainous terrain, with the data helping to improve the accuracy of computer simulations.
The 1:577 scaled model, which measures 5.4 metres by 4.5 metres, consists of 56 individual 3D-printed parts. It took 100 days to print with the final model assembled and housed inside a former military bunker near Davos.
"We want to use models...