Welcome to the August 2026 edition of the AvaFrame monthly update:
This month brought an optional faster compute engine for FlowPy, a new optimisation module for com8MoTPSA, and spatially variable friction for rock avalanche simulations. We also extended time-dependent release inputs and adapted shared functions for DebrisFrame development.
Features
FlowPy Performance
- PR #1319 (link ) added an optional Numba compute engine for FlowPy. The contribution reported speedups of around 30–45 times in selected benchmarks. Python remains the default engine and the fallback for unsupported options or installations without Numba. Results matched exactly on tested single-tile domains, though small numerical differences were observed on fine-resolution flat runout terrain.
Optimisation and MoT-PSA
- PR #1245 (link ) introduced ana6Optimisation for com8MoTPSA, with a combined runout and Tversky loss function, Morris sensitivity analysis, and surrogate-based optimisation. The com8 workflow now checks for existing simulations and processes simulation batches in chunks.
- PR #1306 (link ) updated the com8 configuration file for the new format.
Rock Avalanche Friction
- PR #1312 (link ) added support for spatially variable Voellmy friction in com6. Friction rasters can be generated from a single shapefile containing both friction parameters. Ambiguous inputs containing both rasters and a friction shapefile are rejected.
Release Inputs and Shared Functions
- PR #1334 (link ) added a CSV input option for time-dependent release, specifying coordinates, time steps, thickness, and velocity components. This allows the initial movement direction to be defined explicitly, alongside the existing polygon-based release option.
- PR #1331 (link ) adapted shared input and dense flow functions for use in DebrisFrame module development.
Assets and Scarp Tools
- PR #1324 (link ) made the value representing locations without assets configurable.
- PR #1325 (link ) corrected the scarp azimuth calculation, updated configuration and attribute names, and added documentation.
Bug Fixes
- PR #1326 (link ) fixed FlowPy parameter handling when an input file contains an invalid value. The default is now restored instead of reusing the previous value, which could affect simulation results.
- PR #1329 (link ) corrected forest-effect handling involving remeshing and disabled forest effects for simulations without resistance.
Testing and Benchmarks
- PR #1321 (link ) added FlowPy benchmarks for a channelled parabola and the Arzler Alm avalanche. A new comparison script checks simulation rasters against reference data pixel by pixel and writes a test report.
AvaFrameData - PR #6 (link ) completed author attribution and Zenodo metadata for our data repository, now released as 1.1 and fully citable.
Welcome to first-time contributors @jmasseysykes (PR #1319) and @MunsMan (PR #1326). Thanks for the contributions!
See you in September!
Felix