Author(s): Spyros Beltaos; Brian C. Burrell
Linked Author(s): Brian Burrell
Keywords: No keywords
Abstract: During the 1995 spring breakup, an ice jam formed on the lower Matapedia River and remained in place long enough to permit collection of field data on the longitudinal variation of its thickness as well as on water surface elevations along its length. Together with bathymetric data that were collected in the following summer, the spring measurements form one of the most complete ice-jam data sets that have been obtained to date. Application of the model RIVJAM reproduced the measured water level profile of the jam very closely, while a reasonable simulation of the average jam thickness was obtained. The availability of thickness data helped minimize the ambiguity that is usually associated with model calibrations, and enabled direct assessment of the jam roughness. Model sensitivity was explored by changing calibration parameters and examining the model output for those runs that adequately reproduce the observed jam length. The results revealed that the model is moderately sensitive in this particular case study, much as had been found in earlier test runs using hypothetical examples.
Year: 2008