Using a Helicopter to Measure River Discharge under Extreme Environmental Conditions: A Methodological Approach on the Sagavanirktok River, Alaska

River discharge is a critical variable in many aspects of hydrology, particularly river mechanics. Due to the importance of river discharge, the standards for performing measurements are already established. In the extreme environmental conditions of breakup in Arctic regions, field crews face signi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Water
Main Authors: John Keech, Mike Terwilliger, Joel Bailey, Horacio Toniolo
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018
Subjects:
discharge measurements
spring breakup
arctic environments
Hydraulic engineering
TC1-978
Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes
TD201-500
Arctic
Alaska North Slope
north slope
Alaska
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/w10060697
https://doaj.org/article/832e5f1108c24c479569e1bfc557bf46
Description
Summary:River discharge is a critical variable in many aspects of hydrology, particularly river mechanics. Due to the importance of river discharge, the standards for performing measurements are already established. In the extreme environmental conditions of breakup in Arctic regions, field crews face significant challenges in carrying out measurements, including risks to personnel, equipment safety, and river access difficulties. The use of a helicopter in performing river discharge measurements with these challenges provides an alternative to using a boat. We present the details of measuring river discharge with the help of a helicopter along the braided Sagavanirktok River on the Alaska North Slope.

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