This study examines the possible effect of the record ice jam of 1984 in the St. Clair River on river bed changes and conveyance. Numerical simulations were made to examine the flow and bed shear stresses during the jam formation and release periods. Simulation results indicate that the ice jam in the river did not cause a significant increase in bed shear stress compared to pre- and post-jam open water conditions. The insignificant...

Ice processes in general, and ice jams in particular, play a dominant role in the hydrologic regime of Canadian rivers, often causing extreme floods and affecting the life cycle of many aquatic, terrestrial, and avian species. Various numerical models have been developed to help simulate the formation and consequences of these very dynamic and often destructive jam events. To test and compare the performance of existing models,...

Concern has been expressed regarding the impacts of climate change on river ice and ice jam formation in cold regions. Ice jams are easily initiated in bends and narrow channels and cause disasters. In this study, observations and remote sensing monitoring are used to study the freeze-up ice jam formation of bends. Sediment transport and freezing process of the river interact, influencing bed changes profile and sedimentary budget....

The numerical model DynaRICE and its application to ice jam formation and release is presented. The model is a two-dimensional coupled flow and ice dynamic model. The ice dynamic component, which includes both the internal ice resistance and boundary friction on ice motion, uses a Lagrangian SPH method. The hydrodynamic component of the model uses a streamline upwind finite element method, which is capable of simulating trans-critical...

In light of the observed climate change, there is a need for better understanding of river ice processes for managing water resources in the cold regions. Ice jams produce significant resistance which may cause rise of water level and flooding. The jam resistance is only referred to the roughness of its underside, and this approach lead to exceptional roughness coefficients which has no physical explanation. Number of evidences...