n.

a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain

a sudden appearance of an overwhelming number of things

"the program brought an avalanche of mail"

Avalanches and the distribution of solar flares
Neuronal avalanches in neocortical circuits.
Scaling and universality in avalanches
The dynamics of avalanches of granular materials from initiation to runout. Part I: Analysis
The organizing principles of neuronal avalanches: cell assemblies in the cortex?
Large volcanic debris avalanches: Characteristics of source areas, deposits, and associated eruptions
Neuronal avalanches are diverse and precise activity patterns that are stable for many hours in cortical slice cultures.
Spontaneous cortical activity in awake monkeys composed of neuronal avalanches
Erosion et entrainement par une bouffée de densité ; application aux avalanches de neige en aérosol
Coevolution to the edge of chaos: coupled fitness landscapes, poised states, and coevolutionary avalanches.