Two types of avalanche behaviour in granular media

The nature of the transition between static and flowing regimes in granular media1,2 provides a key to understanding their dynamics. When a pile of sand starts flowing, avalanches occur on its inclined free surface. Previously, studies3 of avalanches in granular media have considered the time series of avalanches in rotating drums4, or in piles continuously fed with material. Here we investigate single avalanches created by perturbing a static layer of glass beads on a rough inclined plane. We observe two distinct types of avalanche, with evidence for different underlying physical mechanisms. Perturbing a thin layer results in an avalanche propagating downhill and also laterally owing to collisions between neighbouring grains, causing triangular tracks; perturbing a thick layer results in an avalanche front that also propagates upwards, grains located uphill progressively tumbling down because of loss of support. The perturbation threshold for triggering an avalanche is found to decrease to zero at a critical slope. Our results may improve understanding of naturally occurring avalanches on snow slopes5 where triangular tracks are also observed.