Depth-averaged profiles in ice-covered flows

Ice-covered channels play a critical role in forming the surface of the earth and other planets. While ice formation has been shown to impact flow dynamics and regulate sediment transport, there is a limited understanding of flow conditions under field conditions due to significant challenges in working on frozen water bodies and icy terrains. Hence, there is a need to use analytical and numerical methods to infer flow characteristics under the ice cover with a minimal use of measured data. Our study investigates the validity of two analytical methods for estimating the depth-averaged velocity in an ice-covered channel. We also carry out Large Eddy Simulation to validate these analytical solutions. Furthermore, field works are carried out with a Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to obtain field measurements in a meandering bend of the Red River of the North in North Dakota, United States. The results demonstrate that analytical methods provide results which agree well with the observed data in the test channel. Moreover, the depth-averaged velocity obtained from the analytical solutions are found to be sensitive to the secondary flows. Our numerical simulations also reveal a double circulation (stacked vortices) near both banks of the channel. We will discuss the effectiveness of our methodologies in capturing flow dynamics under field conditions.