This book exposes practitioners and students to the theory and application of river and lake ice processes to gain a better understanding of these processes for modelling and forecasting. It focuses on the following processes of the surface water ice: freeze-up, ice cover thickening, ice cover breakup and ice jamming. The reader will receive a fundamental understanding of the physical processes of each component and how they are applied in monitoring and modelling ice covers during the winter season and forecasting ice floods. Exercises accompany each component to reinforce the theoretical principles learned. These exercises will also expose the reader to different tools to process data, such a space-borne remote sensing imagery for ice cover classification. A thread supporting numerical modelling of river ice and lake ice processes runs through the book.

The breakup of a river ice cover can be both fascinating and perilous, owing to ever-changing ice conditions and dynamic processes that sometimes lead to extreme flood events caused by ice jams. Though much progress has been made recently in the study of ice jams, less has been achieved on the more general, and more complex, problem of how to predict the entire breakup process, from the first ice movement to the last ice effect on river stage. This type of knowledge is essential to determining when and where ice jam threats may develop and when they may release and generate steep flood waves that can trigger ice runs and jamming further downstream. In turn, such understanding is invaluable to natural hazard reduction, ecosystem conservation and protection, and adaptation to climatic impacts. This book combines the existing information, previously scattered in various journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports. It contains contributions by several authors to achieve a comprehensive and balanced coverage, including qualitative and quantitative descriptions of relevant physical processes, forecasting methods and flood-frequency assessments, as well as ecological impacts and climatic considerations. The book should be of interest to readers of different backgrounds, both beginners and specialists. -- Publisher's website.

This report presents experimental results on the conditions of initiation of an ice jam by a simple surface obstruction, on the equilibrium thickness of an ice jam formed by accumulation and submergence of ice floes, and on the compression strength of floating, fragmented ice cover. In the study on ice jam initiation, it was found that the minimum concentration of floes in the opening of the obstruction at which a jam occurs is nearly independent of the ratio of width of constricted passage to channel width, and is proportional to a negative power of the ratio of floe length to width of constricted passage. From energy analysis of floe submergence, a relationship relating the thickness of a jam formed by accumulation and submergence of floes to the approach flow characteristics was derived and found to fit satisfactorily the experimental data. In experiments on compression strength of floating, fragmented ice cover it was found that the compressive strength is inversely proportional to compression velocity and independent of cover length.

Completely updated and with three new chapters, this analysis of river dynamics is invaluable for advanced students, researchers and practitioners.

This book, first published in 1980, is a timely and comprehensive appraisal of thresholds in geomorphology. The papers, arising from the 9th Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium, form the cornerstone of a subject that is increasingly important in geomorphology. This book analyses the historical background to thresholds and geomorphology, as well as fluvial landforms, hydrogeologic regimes and other processes, and the impact of man.

This report presents the results of the Corps of Engineers' Section 22 study of ice jam flooding in the Lower Platte River basin. The purpose of the study was to gather and analyze historical data relating to ice jams, with the intent of developing guidance that can be used to alleviate ice jam flooding at seven sites within the study area. Ice event and related information is summarized for each site. Ice event characteristics for the study area are identified and analyzed. A model for predicting the occurrence of ice jams or other ice events within the study area was developed based on data for the Platte River at North Bend, Nebraska. The model provides the minimum discharge associated with ice events for a given date, assuming a threshold value of accumulated freezing degree-days has been reached. A data collection program for future field observations was developed and placed in operation during the winter of 1993-94. General information on ice jam mitigation measures, as well as specific information on such operations as dusting and blasting, is provided. Specific recommendations include increased monitoring of ice conditions, installation of ice motion detectors and water stage recorders, and further study of nonstructural and structural mitigation measures. The use of dusting and blasting as mitigation measures is also presented. The study was divided into six phases. Phase 1 involved collection of historical information from all available data sources, published and oral. Site visits were made to each identified site. Phase 2 entailed analysis and assessment of the collected hydrological, hydraulical, meteorological and ice data.