RiTiCE: River Flow Timing Characteristics and Extremes in the Arctic Region
(1) Background: river ice has a significant impact on nearly 66% of rivers in the Northern Hemisphere. Ice builds up during winter when the flow gradually reduces to its lowest level before the spring melt is initiated. Ice-induced floods can happen quickly, posing a risk to infrastructure, hydropow...
| Published in: | Water |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/w15050861 https://doaj.org/article/9c922b4ba0db4bc8adf575a8fb4073c0 |
| Summary: | (1) Background: river ice has a significant impact on nearly 66% of rivers in the Northern Hemisphere. Ice builds up during winter when the flow gradually reduces to its lowest level before the spring melt is initiated. Ice-induced floods can happen quickly, posing a risk to infrastructure, hydropower generation, and public safety, in addition to ecological repercussions from the scouring and erosion of the riverbeds. (2) Methods: we used the annual daily hydrograph to develop a RiTiCE tool that detects the break-up date and develops indices to analyze timing characteristics of extreme flow in the Tana and Tornio Rivers. (3) Results: the study showed that low-flow periods in two rivers had a significant trend with a confidence level of 95%. Additionally, it was observed that the occurrence date of seasonal 90-day low- and high-flow periods occurred earlier in recent years. Conversely, the Tana River showed a negative trend in its annual minimum flow over the century, which is the opposite of what happened with the Tornio River. (4) Conclusions: the method can be used to detect the date when the river ice breaks up in a given year, leading to a better understanding of the river ice phenomenon. |
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