Monitoring River Ice Conditions Using Web-Based Cameras
Publication: Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 23, Issue 1
Abstract
It is necessary to monitor river ice conditions at many northern locations where river ice can pose a risk. Web cameras have been used to monitor real-time ice conditions at hydropower plants, navigation reaches, or locations of ice-related flooding. This study demonstrates how Web cameras can also be used to investigate river ice processes. Hourly images taken over three winters at the confluence of the Allegheny River and Oil Creek in Oil City, Pa. were analyzed. Each image was manually reviewed and classified according to surface ice conditions: stationary ice cover, frazil ice, brash ice, or open lead formation in an ice cover. The percentage of the channel width in the image covered by each ice condition was recorded. The time series of ice data are presented along with the concurrent hydrological and meteorological data. The Web cameras were operational during the 2000–2001, 2001–2002, and 2002–2003 winter seasons and provided an effective and relatively inexpensive means of monitoring and analyzing the river ice conditions.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank Tom Hall of ERDC-CRREL for assembling the equipment boxes and Jeff Liggett, Dennis McCune, and Frank Campbell of the Pittsburgh District of the Corps of Engineers for their help with installation of the cameras.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Cold Regions Engineering
Volume 23 • Issue 1 • March 2009
Pages: 1 - 17
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Apr 23, 2007
Accepted: Jul 29, 2008
Published online: Mar 1, 2009
Published in print: Mar 2009
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