Remote data collection on ice breakup dynamics: Saint John River case study

Beltaos, Spyros; Rowsell, Robert; Tang, Patrick

doi:10.1016/j.coldregions.2011.03.005

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…A practical "redundancy" scheme for the breakup event would be to install portable pressure loggers as soon as hinge cracks appear in the ice cover and openwater moats develop next to the channel banks. Such loggers have been deployed successfully in the lower Mackenzie and upper Delta and elsewhere (Beltaos and Carter 2009;Beltaos et al 2011b). One of them provided sufficient data to enable reconstruction of the incomplete 2008 MARR gauge record.…”

Section: Potential Improvementsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mackenzie Delta flow during spring breakup: uncertainties and potential improvements

Beltaos

2012

Can. J. Civ. Eng.

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The spring flow of the Mackenzie River into its delta drives the breakup ice jamming and consequent flooding and replenishment of the thousands of lakes on the delta plain. Daily flows for related studies are presently furnished by Water Survey of Canada, based on the records of a hydrometric station located close to the delta entrance. The relative proximity of the Beaufort Sea affects the local water surface slope, amplifying uncertainties that are normally associated with under-ice flow estimates. It is shown that gauge-derived spring flows often do not agree with other evidence, such as past discharge measurements, flows at the next upstream gauge, and hydraulic computations for the 2008 event. This appears to result in inconsistencies between spring flow hydrograph and observed severity of ice breakup. Options for improving spring flow estimates are discussed and installation of an auxiliary water-level gauge near Point Separation is recommended as a practical choice.Résumé : Au printemps, le débit du fleuve Mackenzie dans son delta engendre la formation d'embâcles et les inondations qui en découlent permettent le remplissage de milliers de lacs dans la plaine deltaïque. Les débits quotidiens provenant d'é-tudes associées sont présentement fournis par la division des relevés hydrologiques du Canada; ils sont basés sur les registres d'une station hydrométrique située à l'entrée du delta. La proximité relative de la mer de Beaufort affecte la pente locale de la ligne d'eau, amplifiant les incertitudes normalement associées aux estimations des débits sous la glace. Il est dé-montré que les débits printaniers obtenus des jauges ne concordent souvent pas aux autres données, telles que les mesures antérieures de décharge, les débits à la prochaine jauge amont et les calculs hydrauliques de l'événement de 2008. Cela semble engendrer des discordances entre l'hydrographe du débit printanier et la sévérité observée de la débâcle. Les options pour améliorer les estimations des débits printaniers sont abordées et il est recommandé d'installer une jauge auxiliaire du niveau d'eau près de Point Separation comme choix pratique.

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Section: Potential Improvementsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mackenzie Delta flow during spring breakup: uncertainties and potential improvements

Beltaos

2012

Can. J. Civ. Eng.

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“…The loggers are deployed shortly after hinge cracks develop in the ice cover and retrieved weeks or months later, thus capturing breakup events as well as any subsequent runoff waves. Portability, ease of deployment, sturdy housing and small “sampling” interval are the main advantages of this technique (Beltaos et al , ).…”

Section: Remote Monitoring Of Dynamic Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This jam released shortly afterwards, generating the first jave captured at 73.8 km. As indicated in Beltaos et al (), javes occurring upstream of Edmundston were of the unimpeded type; that is, they advanced into open‐water reaches. Below Edmundston, the javes were of the impeded type as they advanced in ice‐covered reaches.…”

Section: Remote Monitoring Of Dynamic Processesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ice jam modelling and field data collection for flood forecasting in the Saint John River, Canada

Beltaos

Tang

Rowsell

2012

Hydrological Processes

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Ice jams cause major flooding and severe damages to communities and infrastructure along the Saint John River. There is a growing need to develop capability in forecasting and analysing ice‐jam‐related flood events. This capability is also essential in anticipating the potential for increased ice jam damages as a result of a changing climate. The well‐known and user‐friendly Hydrologic Engineering Centre's River Analysis System (HEC‐RAS) model, which can simulate ice jam configuration under steady‐state conditions, has been calibrated for operational application along the international Saint John River from Dickey, Maine, USA, to Grand Falls, New Brunswick. Examples of model results are presented, and the modelling experience gained to date is outlined. Surprisingly, model output begins to deteriorate when the spacing of cross sections is less than a site‐specific threshold. Once calibrated, the model generates good results, but model parameters change from site to site. Inconsistencies relative to current ice jam understanding and potential improvements are identified. A dangerous consequence of jamming is the sharp wave (jave for short) that is generated upon ice jam release. At present, dynamic aspects of breakup can best be assessed by measurement. Specially designed portable loggers were deployed in 2009 to capture various javes as well as the spring flood that typically arrives after ice clearance. The results enabled a comprehensive comparison between the characteristics of javes and runoff waves, whereas the runoff data were also used to test the unsteady flow routine of HEC‐RAS, which can be used to develop forecasts for runoff floods. Copyright © 2012 Her Majesty the Queen in right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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“…Consequently, the movement of ice into this river reach was limited, causing ice entering the channel to jam while ice exiting the channel present from the winter period cleared sooner. There is also the possibility that the release of ice javes (river waves generated from ice jam) at the entrance of the channel could give rise to the rapid clearance of downstream ice over a 1-2-day period over this 230 km stretch of the Mackenzie River (Beltaos et al, 2011).…”

Section: Thermal and Dynamic Ice Break-upmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ice break-up process is nonetheless under-monitored. There is therefore a gap in knowledge when attempting to understand all associated hydrologic parameters due to their highly dynamic nature (Beltaos et al, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monitoring ice break-up on the Mackenzie River using MODIS data

2016

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Abstract. The aim of this study was to develop an approach for estimating ice break-up dates on the Mackenzie River (MR) using more than a decade of MODIS Level 3 500 m snow products (MOD/MYD10A1), complemented with 250 m Level 1B radiance products (MOD/MYD02QKM) from the Terra and Aqua satellite platforms.The analysis showed break-up began on average between days of year (DOYs) 115 and 125 and ended between DOYs 145 and 155 over 13 ice seasons (2001)(2002)(2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013), resulting in an average melt duration of ca. 30-40 days. Thermal processes were more important in driving ice break-up south of the MR confluence with the Liard River, while dynamically driven break-up was more important north of the Liard.A comparison of the timing of ice disappearance with snow disappearance from surrounding land areas of the MR with MODIS Level 3 snow products showed varying relationships along the river. Ice-off and snow-off timing were in sync north of the MR-Liard River confluence and over sections of the MR before it enters the Mackenzie Delta, but ice disappeared much later than snow on land in regions where thermal ice break-up processes dominated.MODIS observations revealed that channel morphology is a more important control of ice break-up patterns than previously believed with ice runs on the MR strongly influenced by channel morphology (islands and bars, confluences and channel constriction).Ice velocity estimates from feature tracking were able to be made in 2008 and 2010 and yielded 3-4-day average ice velocities of 1.21 and 1.84 m s −1 respectively, which is in agreement with estimates from previous studies.These preliminary results confirm the utility of daily MODIS data for monitoring ice break-up processes along the Mackenzie River. The addition of optical and synthetic aperture radar data from recent and upcoming satellite missions (e.g. Sentinel-1/2/3 and RADARSAT Constellation) would improve the monitoring of ice break-up in narrower sections of the MR.

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Remote data collection on ice breakup dynamics: Saint John River case study

Cited by 21 publications

References 11 publications

Mackenzie Delta flow during spring breakup: uncertainties and potential improvements

Mackenzie Delta flow during spring breakup: uncertainties and potential improvements

Ice jam modelling and field data collection for flood forecasting in the Saint John River, Canada

Monitoring ice break-up on the Mackenzie River using MODIS data

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