Quoted from: https://ramms.slf.ch/ramms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46&Itemid=53 

An accurate prediction of mass movements runout distances, flow velocities and impact pressures in natural three-dimensional terrain is the driving motivation behind the development of improved mass movements dynamics models.

RAMMS was specially designed to provide geotechnical engineers with a tool that can be applied to analyze problems that cannot be solved with existing one-dimensional models (e.g. AVAL-1D).

In the field of natural hazards, there is a strong need for process models or tools where both the process and interaction with proposed mitigation measures can be evaluated.

RAMMS is a reliable numerical simulation tool yielding runout distance, flow heights, flow velocities and impact pressure of dense flow snow avalanches, hillslope landslides and debris flows. It has been developed by a team of experts at the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF and the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL.

Measurements from the Swiss real scale test sites in Vallée de la Sionne (snow avalanches )and Illgraben (debris flows) and data from numerous datasets of historic avalanche and debris flow events in Switzerland were used to develop and calibrate the model.

Mitigation engineers have applied RAMMS to a wide range of case studies and have established the useability of RAMMS for practical problems.  Practitioners in Switzerland are now using RAMMS in consulting problems involving snow avalanches, hillslope landslides and debris flows.

Simulation result of an avalanche at the Swiss avalanche test site Vallée de la Sionne, near Sion, Canton Valais.Topographic map © 2010 swisstopo (JD100007)