Ice jam release surges, ice runs, and breaking fronts: field measurements, physical descriptions, and research needs

Abstract

Surges or flood waves made up of ice and water resulting from the release of ice jams can be destructive to life and property and are also one of the more complicated problems in river ice engineering. The interaction between the ice mechanics and unsteady flow leads to results that are often unpredictable with open water unsteady flow models. There are considerable differences of opinion on the degree of significance of this water-ice interaction. There have also been recent developments in two-phase unsteady flow modelling which are capable of handling these complicated situations. It is the aim of this paper to present both quantitative data and qualitative observations on ice runs and breaking fronts to provide insight to the physical processes involved as and possible sources of model calibration data. Résumé :Les déferlements d'ondes de crues composées de glace et d'eau résultant du relâchement d'embâcles de glace peuvent mettre des vies humaines à risque et détruire des propriétés, et sont aussi un des problèmes les plus compliqués dans le domaine du génie des glaces en rivière. L'interaction entre les mécanismes de la glace et les écoulements non-permanents conduit à des résultats qui sont souvent imprévisibles avec des modèles d'écoulements à surface libre non-permanents. Il y a des différences d'opinion considérables sur le degré d'importance de l'interaction eau-glace. Il y a aussi eu des développements récents dans la modélisation en deux phases d'écoulements nonpermanents, qui sont capable de traiter ces situations compliquées. Le but de cet article est de présenter des données quantitatives et des observations objectives sur les mouvements de glace et sur les fronts de relâchement afin de fournir des indications à propos des processus physiques impliqués de même que des possibles sources de données pour la calibration de modèles.

Development of a river ice jam by a combined heat loss and hydraulic model

“…3 there are many periods of thaw in between the periods of frazil ice run in one winter. Jasek (2003) states, that the interaction between the ice mechanics and unsteady flow leads to results that are often unpredictable with open water unsteady flow models. He also points out considerable differences of opinion on the degree of significance of this water-ice interaction.…”

Challenges in modelling river flow and ice regime on the Ningxia–Inner Mongolia reach of the Yellow River, China

“…Blackburn and Hicks, 2003). Field investigations were conducted by Jasek (2003), who found out that release wave celerity seemed to change with different ice conditions. Based on this research output, Liu and Shen (2004) started to take into consideration the effect of ice on wave propagation.…”

“…According to the statistics for ice flood disasters on the NingMeng reach, there were 13 ice flood events from 1901 to 1949, almost one event every 4 years. Even after the Liujiaxia Reservoir and the Qingtongxia Reservoir started operation in 1968 and 1960 respectively, ice flood disasters still occurred in 1993, 1996, 2003(Gao et al, 2012.…”

Numerical Modelling of Ice Floods in the Ning-Meng Reach of the Yellow River Basin

“…Apart from that, there were 28 ice flood seasons with ice disaster from 1951 to 2005 (Rao et al, 2012). After the operation of Liujiaxia Reservoir in 1968 and the Longyangxia Reservoir in 1986, ice flood disasters only occurred in 1993, 2003(Gao et al, 2012. Taking During the breakup period, ice run resulted in ice dam, and then ice flood occurred to get the livestock and grassland submerged.…”