About the nivology and avalanches service

Towards the end of 1986, the Geological Service of Catalonia together with the then Department of Dynamics Geology, Geophysics and Palaeontology of the University of Barcelona, began the "Study of Avalanche Risk in the Catalan Pyrenees", with the purpose of solving the problem of lack of information regarding the risk of avalanches in Catalonia.

Between 1986 and 1990 the basis of the project was established and groundwork was carried out in order to be able to activate prediction systems in space and time.

As a public service, as of the 1990-1 season, the first Avalanche Hazard Bulletin was published. At the same time the preparation of Maps of the Probable Location of Avalanche Paths began, the first of which was published in 1997.

In 1996, the entire project was handed over to the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya (Catalan Institute of Cartography), a public company of the Generalitat de Catalunya.

As of the 2003-2004 season, the temporal prediction became part of the Meteorological Service of Catalonia, whilst the spatial prediction remained the responsibility of the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya.

Since December 2005, with the creation of the Geological Institute of Catalonia (IGC), avalanche risk has been considered a competence of this institution, once again being responsible for spatial and temporal prediction.

Since February 2014, with the creation of the Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia, products and services have been consolidated and continuously improved within the platform of the Information Service of the Avalanche Hazard Bulletin (InfoBPA), Instamaps viewer and Geoservices WMS.