The Dynamics of Spring Ice Drifts and Jams in the Northern Dvina and Pechora Mouths

The dynamic type of ice drift development is found to dominate in the mouth zones of the Northern Dvina and Pechora rivers in the period of spring ice break. The ice drift is accompanied by the formation of ice jams in the mouth, the most common among them being jams of arched and wedge type. The jams are a common cause of flooding of towns and settlements in the region. The particular features of ice breaking in the mouths of northern rivers are discussed along with the regularities of ice jam formation during ice drift. The formation of jams is shown to be associated with stable retardation of ice in the sites of river channels that have specific morphological characteristics or to be caused by drifting ice mass running into solid ice fields in lower parts of river delta arms.     

Hydrological processes at an Arctic river mouth: Case study of the Colville River, Alaska, USA

Data on the Colville River mouth (Alaska, USA) are used to discuss the regularities in hydrological processes taking place in river mouth areas, functioning under extreme arctic conditions. Seasons and periods are recognized in the annual cycle of the Colville river mouth hydrologic regime. A thick ice cover commonly forms in winter in the river, its delta distributaries, and the offshore zone. Water salinity in under-ice water in the distributaries and near-delta river reach appreciably increases in late winter. The spring flood is very short; in this period, snowmelt water propagates toward the ocean first over ice and next under it. A wedge of freshened waters forms in the nearshore zone above fast ice. River runoff abruptly drops in the summer-autumn low-water period. The morphological processes in the distributaries and some ecological conditions in the delta are also discussed.     

Tree ring analysis of hydro‐climatic thresholds that trigger ice jams on the Mistassini River,Quebec

This study documents the spatiotemporal variations in the frequency and magnitude of ice jams in the Mistassini River and applies that information to the identification of the hydro‐climatic threshold conditions associated with major events. Ice jams cause severe upheavals in water flow, which result in flooding upstream of the ice jam front, and therefore represent a significant geohazard to riparian populations. To analyze the spatiotemporal variations in the magnitude–frequency of ice jams, the Mistassini River was first divided into six different sites representing different geomorphological contexts. A 50‐year ice jam chronology was constructed from 85 damaged trees from all of the study sites. This chronology was then coupled with hydro‐climatic variables to construct classification trees, which helped identify the conditions and hydro‐climatic thresholds favourable to the triggering of ice jams in a predictive model. The results indicate complex interactions between the characteristics of flow, ice cover and river morphology that affect the frequency and magnitude of ice jam events on the Mistassini River. These factors affect the frequency and magnitude of ice jam events. The triggering of extreme events seems particularly influenced by exceptional ice conditions and sites with high sinuosity and islands. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological and morphological processes in Senegal River mouth area

The main features of the structure and water regime of the mouth area of the Senegal River and their changes caused by river regulation in its upper reaches and within its delta area are considered. Data on water and sediment runoff of the Senegal River and their variations along the river are specified. River runoff was found to dramatically decrease in recent decades because of a drought. Zoning of river mouth area was carried out, and morphological processes in its estuary, in particular, the formation of a new outlet of the river into the ocean with the formation of a lagoon, are described.     

Internal structure and sources of selected ice jams on the lower Vistula River

The lower stretch of the Vistula is the most ice‐jammed river section on the North European Plain. Since 1982, the structure of hanging dams has been studied by means of a mechanical non‐core sampler. In this article, a selected of field research results of the hanging dams' structure and the degree of filling of the cross section with ice obtained during surface ice‐jam events in the years 1995–2014 are presented, along with an explanation of their causes. Surface ice jams occurred during spring snowmelt surges and ice breakups and also during freeze‐up and ice‐covered periods. Their main cause was changes in the river flow and was also those affected by anthropogenic sources. A characteristic feature of the analysed cross sections was the considerable share of the underhanging ice dam's firm accumulation with ice floes, when the cross section would be filled with ice in excess of 70%. In most cases, due to low river discharge, there was no substantial flooding damage. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment regime and morphological processes in the Hong Ha (Red River) mouth area

Main features of sediment regime in the mouth area of the Hong Ha River (Red River), Vietnam, are discussed. As shown, the hydraulic engineering construction on the Da tributary resulted in a nearly two-fold decrease of river sediment yield. Sediment budget components at the river mouth were analyzed to establish that more than 90% of the sediment yield was detained in the delta branches and in the nearshore zone of the river mouth. Morphological processes in the Hong Ha River mouth area were characterized in detail including delta evolution during Holocene and the dynamics of its channel network, coastline, and mouth bars. Special attention was given to modern processes of delta progradation at the mouths of main branches and to wave erosion of other parts of the delta coastline. The causes for the intensification of this kind of erosion and change of the delta type in the late XX century are discussed.     

Hydrological processes in the mouth area of the Nemunas (Neman) River

The geographic characteristics of the Nemunas (Neman) River basin is presented with due consideration for the hydrological regime of this river and the Curonian Lagoon (Marios). The following geographic and hydrographic features of the Nemunas mouth area are described in detail: the landscape and climatic conditions, delta water balance, water flow distribution among branches, flow-induced changes in water levels, specific features of ice regime in the delta, storm surges, and floods.     

Hydrological alteration of an ice-marginal valley and its influence on the extent of historical floods

Abstract

Hydrological alteration within an ice-marginal valley is analysed in relation to flooding by the River Vistula flowing within that valley. Specifically, the analysis covers the period of the last two centuries (up to the present day), making reference to human impacts and natural disasters. Seven topographic maps, as well as digital terrain model (DTM) analysis of the extent of flooded areas are used to evaluate the linkage with historical flood events. Within the ice-marginal valley, flooding processes are found to still play an important role on the floodplain, although human activities have limited these significantly through the construction of embankments. The changing characteristics of floods generated by different mechanisms (e.g. heavy rainfall and ice jams) are also discussed.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis     

Hydrological and morphological processes at the Zhujiang River mouth area, China

Hydrological and morphological processes in the Zhujiang River (Pearl River) mouth area of China are discussed. The hydrological regime of the Xijiang River, which is the largest river of South China and the main source of water inflow into the Zhujiang mouth area, is described. The basic features of the hydrological regime of the delta and the near-shore zone of the Zhujiang River mouth are characterized, much attention being given to the role of tides and mixing of river and sea water in the hydrological regime. Special emphasis is placed on morphodynamic processes at the mouth area and the history of the Zhujiang Delta evolution.     

Specific features of hydrological and morphological processes in the mouth area of the Mekong River

The geographical and hydrological features of the Mekong River basin and the nearshore zone of the South China Sea, which influence the hydrological regime of the Mekong River mouth, are discussed. Detailed characteristics are provided for the drainage system of the Mekong River mouth area, water flow distribution among the delta branches, processes of the delta submergence during floods, as well as propagation of tidal, surge-induced level fluctuations and seawater intrusion into the river. Regularities of the Holocene evolution of the Mekong River mouth area and recent processes of delta formation are also discussed.     

The Hydrological Regime and the Peculiarities of Formation of the Po River Delta

The peculiarities of the hydrological regime of the delta and near-shore zone of the Po River are discussed. The intrusion of salt seawater into the delta is described. The history of the Po Delta formation has been restored on the basis of the analysis of historical, archeological, and cartographic data. As shown, the peculiarities of hydrological and morphological processes in the Po River mouth are associated with natural and specifically with human-induced variations in sediment runoff of the river, with levee construction along branches, subsidence of deltaic deposits, and eustatic rise of the sea level.     

Delta formation processes at the Mississippi River mouth

Specific processes of delta formation at the Mississippi River mouth are discussed. In the last 7000–8000 years, a series of large deltaic lobes was formed in succession at the Mississippi River mouth under the condition of high river sediment runoff and stabilization of the ocean level after its sudden postglacial rise. In the mid-XX century, the formation of a new deltaic lobe began at the Atchafalaya Branch mouth. Over the last centuries, the processes of delta formation at the Mississippi River mouth slowed down as a result of the river sediment runoff decrease after flow regulation of the Missouri and Arkansas tributaries; in some parts of the deltaic plain, these processes gave way to degradation of marshes and seashore erosion under the impact of intense land subsidence. The current processes of delta formation are under the great influence of local economic activities.     

An automated algorithm for river ice monitoring over the Susquehanna River using the MODIS data

Reliable and prompt information on river ice condition and extent is needed to make accurate hydrological forecasts to predict ice jams breakups and issue timely flood warnings. This study presents a technique to detect and monitor river ice using observations from the MODIS instrument onboard the Terra satellite. The technique incorporates a threshold‐based decision tree image classification algorithm to process MODIS data and to determine the extent of ice. To differentiate between ice‐covered and ice‐free pixels within the riverbed, the algorithm combines observations in the visible and near‐infrared spectral bands. The developed technique presents the core of the MODIS‐based river ice mapping system, which has been developed to support National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NWS's operations. The system has been tested over the Susquehanna River in northeastern USA, where ice jam events leading to spring floods are a frequent occurrence. The automated algorithm generates three products: daily ice maps, weekly composite ice maps and running cloud‐free composite ice maps. The performance of the system was evaluated over nine winter seasons. The analysis of the derived products has revealed their good agreement with the aerial photography and with in situ observations‐based ice charts. The probability of ice detection determined from the comparison of the product with the high‐resolution Landsat imagery was equal to 91%. A consistent inverse relationship was found between the river discharge and the ice extent. The correlation between the discharge and the ice extent as determined from the weekly composite product reached 0.75. The developed CREST River Ice Observation System has been implemented at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center as an operational Web tool allowing end users and forecasters to assess ice conditions on the river. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological-morphological processes in the mouth area of the Orinoco (Venezuela)

The peculiarities of the hydrological regime of the Orinoco River and the coastal zone of the Atlantic Ocean that affect the hydrological-morphological processes in the mouth area of the Orinoco River are considered. The major features of the delta water regime, including its inundation, runoff distribution over the delta branches, water and sediment balance, and the processes of river and sea water mixing are described. Special attention is paid to the morphological processes at the Orinoco mouth (delta evolution and modern processes at its coastline).     

Formation of Frazil Ice and Ice Jams on the Rivers of the Yenisei River Basin

The effect of different factors on the duration of spring ice jams and the flood water level in the Siberian rivers is considered. Observational data on the frequency of ice jams of different probabilities within some reaches of the Yenisei River are presented.     

Multiple model combination methods for annual maximum water level prediction during river ice breakup

The Athabasca River is the largest unregulated river in Alberta, Canada, with ice jams frequently occurring in the vicinity of Fort McMurray. Modelling tools are desired to forecast ice‐related flood events. Multiple model combination methods can often obtain better predictive performances than any member models due to possible variance reduction of forecast errors or correction of biases. However, few applications of this method to river ice forecasting are reported. Thus, a framework of multiple model combination methods for maximum breakup water level (MBWL) Prediction during river ice breakup is proposed. Within the framework, the member models describe the relations between the MBWL (predicted variable) and their corresponding indicators (predictor variables); the combining models link the relations between the predicted MBWL by each member model and the observed MBWL. Especially, adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference systems, artificial neural networks, and multiple linear regression are not only employed as member models but also as combining models. Simple average methods (SAM) are selected as the basic combining model due to simple calculations. In the SAM, an equal weight (1/n) is assigned to n member models. The historical breakup data of the Athabasca River at Fort McMurray for the past 36 years (1980 to 2015) are collected to facilitate the comparison of models. These models are examined using the leave‐one‐out cross validation and the holdout validation methods. A SAM, which is the average output from three optimal member models, is selected as the best model as it has the optimal validation performance (lowest average squared errors). In terms of lowest average squared errors, the SAM improves upon the optimal artificial neural networks, adaptive neuro‐fuzzy inference systems, and multiple linear regression member models by 21.95%, 30.97%, and 24.03%, respectively. This result sheds light on the effectiveness of combining different forecasting models when a scarce river ice data set is investigated. The indicators included in the SAM may indicate that the MBWL is affected by water flow conditions just after freeze‐up, overall freezing conditions during winter, and snowpack conditions before breakup.     

NUMERICAL MODELING OF THE SEABED MORPHOLOGY OF THE SUBAQUEOUS YELLOW RIVER DELTA

1 wrsoorCnoxThe Yenow mver delta is ereated by the river transponing sediment bom the Loess Plateau to the shallOWBOhai Gulf during the paSt l45 years. lh recent years, the water discharge and sediment load enedg thesea have bein ched dramacaily The river end chann shital northeastWed hom QingshulgOuN to qngshulgou-Chah chaDnel in 1996, resulting in a new regfor of sedimenboon and erosion ofthe subaqucous delta.,A nUInerial model for river sediInen dispersion and seabed mOrPhofogy of t…     

River and sea water interaction and delta formation in tidal mouth area of the Fraser River (Canada)

The history of studies and development of water resources of the Fraser River (Canada) and its mouth area is presented. The history of the Fraser River delta development and the hydrologomorphological processes that occur at this delta are discussed. Close attention is given to the analysis of processes of dynamic interaction and mixing of river and sea water under the joint impact of river flow and tidal fluctuations.     

Numerical study of generation of the tidal shear front off the Yellow River mouth

Tidal shear front off the Yellow River mouth has been observed and modeled in the previous studies. However, a detailed investigation of the front generation has not been conducted. The aim of this paper is to use a three-dimensional tidal model coupled to a sediment transport module to examine the front formation. The model predicted a tidal shear front that propagated offshore and lasted 1–2 h at both flood and ebb phase off the Yellow River mouth. The sensitivity numerical experiments showed that the topography with a strong slope off the Yellow River mouth was a determining factor for the front generation, and a parallel orientation between the major axes of ellipses and co-tidal lines of maximum tidal current was a necessary condition. While the bottom friction and the river runoff had no effect on the front location but affected the front intensity, the front generation was not sensitive to the coastline variation. The study concluded that the bottom slope off the river mouth induces a strong variation in the bottom stress in a cross-shore direction, which produces both maximum phase gradient and sediment concentration variability across the tidal shear front. With the extending Yellow River delta, the tidal shear front under the new bathymetry of year 2003 has been strengthened and pushed further offshore due to an increased bottom slope.     

Hydrological processes in the mouth area of the Hong Ha (Red River)

The main features of hydrological processes taking place in the mouth area of the Hong Ha River in Vietnam are considered. The geographic and hydrological conditions in the Hong Ha River basin and in its receiving water body—the Gulf of Tonkin, South China Sea—are briefly characterized. The main features of the mouth area of the Hong Ha River as a specific geographic object are identified. The hydrological regime of the delta and the nearshore zone of the Hong Ha River are described in detail. Water balance of the delta, runoff water levels and delta inundation, water and sediment runoff distributions over delta branches, and the effect of tides, typhoons, and storm surges on delta regime are considered. Present-day problems of the use and protection of natural resources at the Hong Ha River mouth are briefly discussed.