Innovative Instrumentation for a Physical Model of River Ice Transport

Large physical models often require the use of innovative instrumentation and measurement techniques. Hydraulic models that attempt to simulate the effects of stationary ice covers put constraints on the types of instrumentation that can be used to successfully measure water velocities and stages. Ice transport models compound these measurement problems, since the motion of the ice is one of the primary variables of interest. The challenges of measuring the thickness, velocity, and concentration of moving ice in the field are significant. The challenges are only marginally easier in a physical model. These obstacles were addressed in a physical model study of the ice transport processes in the Grass Island Pool of the Upper Niagara River, which forms part of the border between the State of New York (USA) and the Province of Ontario (Canada).