Assessment methodology for the backwater levels caused by ice jams: a case study of the rivers of Tom and Chulym (the Ob River drainage basin, Western Siberia, Russia)

Abstract

The article presents an assessment methodology for backwater levels caused by break-up or freeze-up ice jams. Ice jam induced backwater effects reflect changes in water and ice balance in a stream reach. The balance, in turn, depends on the ratio of thermal and dynamic factors of ice events formation. The methodology based on a scheme of jammed river longitudinal profile has been proposed and tested using the observation data on the rivers of Tom and Chulym, and it has been shown that the accuracy of assessment is around 2–12% of the measured values.