Shallow Water Ice Profiler™ Newsletters
September 2011 issue
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In this issue:
Link to SWIP brochure
NEW!! 4-Frequency Shallow Water Ice Profiler
The first 4-frequency SWIP unit was shipped to Martin Jasek of BC Hydro and will be deployed in Peace River November 2011. This new generation of SWIP has it’s origins from ASL R&D activities along with collaborative laboratory and field-based research done with the University of Alberta over the last 2 years.
The 4-frequency SWIP advantage moves us towards being able to compute frazil ice concentrations and particle size. This multi-frequency SWIP will provide new insights into the acoustic properties of slush ice and thermal ice.
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Validation of the Canadian Lake Ice Model using the SWIP
To validate and improve the Canadian Lake Ice Model results, in situ measurements of the ice cover were obtained through the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 ice covered seasons using a SWIP installed on the bottom of the Malcolm Ramsay Lake near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.
The SWIP identified the arrival and break-up of the ice cover. It was used to collect ice draft measurements.
The late season ice thickness tended to be underestimated by the simulations with break-up occurring too early. However, the evolution of the ice cover was simulated to fall between the range of the full snow and no snow scenario, with the thickness being dependent on the amount of snow cover on the ice surface.(Brown, 2011) |
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Photo above: The crew is making a hole for the 2010 SWIP deployment. Courtesy of Laura Brown, University of Waterloo. |
Ice observations in Lake Erie, Michigan, USA
“The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) deployed four SWIP ice profilers at 4 separate locations in the central basin of Lake Erie (Figure 6, stations 1-4) over the winter of 2010-2011 to measure the ice growth, decay, and thickness in the lake. This data will be analyzed and used to improve a coupled ice-lake model for the lake. The annual variability of Lake Erie ice, temperature, and currents will be investigated by comparing the observations with simulations made for other periods with extensive winter observations. Finally, the impact of ice on surface heat flux, temperature, and lake circulation will be determined.” (Hawley, 2011) |
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The above photo shows the 4 SWIP units with external battery packs mounted on sleds prior to deployment. Courtesy of Nathan Hawley, GLERL |
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Diagram shows mooring locations on Lake Erie for 2010-2011 - Courtesy of Nathan Hawley, GLERL |
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Meet with Jan Buermans at:
CGU HS Committee on River Ice Processes and the Environment
16th Workshop on River Ice
Winnipeg, Manitoba, September 18 – 22, 2011
Jan will be presenting a technical paper titled:
"Seven Years of SWIP Measurements, Applications and Development: Where, How and What Can the Technology Do for Us"
Jan can be reached at:
Cell: 1-250-514-9753
Email: jan@aslenv.com |
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