Explosives especially at ski resort Explosives are primarily used to prevent avalanches. where other methods are often impractical. Maintenance staff from the ski resort travel to potential avalanche areasind areas with steep slopes. First, they measure the depth of the snow and its quality. They want to check for hard. loose, we or icy snow layers. an area is considered dangerous, small explosives are fired into the side of the steep terrain. The explpslon loosens the top layer of snow, which tumbles harmlessly down the mountainside. But using explosives is costly and dangerous, some researchers are currently experimentin with the cheaper and safer method of uung uitrasonic sound waves that shock the snow into falling averting an avalanche and saving lives.