Continuous monitoring of river surface ice during freeze-up using upward looking sonar

This paper describes an algorithm that has been developed to process field data from two upward looking sonars, one high (546 kHz) and one low (235 kHz) frequency, a 2 MHz current profiler and a monitoring station, to measure surface ice characteristics on the North Saskatchewan River in the north east of Edmonton, AB, Canada, during the 2009/2010 freeze-up season. The algorithm used to calculate pans/rafts drafts and lengths, and the surface ice concentration is described. The validity and the accuracy of this technique were tested and computed surface ice conditions are presented. For the purpose of examining the effects of hydro-meteorological conditions on measured pan characteristics, the freeze-up period was divided into three distinct stages depending on the measured surface ice concentration. Pan/raft drafts were found to range from 0.1 to 1.0 m and pan/raft lengths from 0.6 to 8.0 m. The sonar proved to be very accurate in detecting the exact surface ice conditions locally above the sonar beam. However, interpretation of the results can sometimes be challenging, especially when physical processes such as bridging affect local ice conditions. Therefore, additional visual observations (e.g. time lapse photography) of surface ice conditions are recommended to aid in the interpretation of sonar measurements.

Research Highlights
► A computer algorithm was developed to process data gathered using upward looking sonars during river freeze-up.
► the algorithm computes pans/rafts drafts and lengths, and the surface ice concentration.
► upward looking sonars proved to be very accurate for measuring local surface river ice conditions.