Articles | Volume 26, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-4201-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-4201-2026
Research article
 | 
01 Sep 2026
Research article |  | 01 Sep 2026

Ice jam formation at river confluences: comprehensive field investigation and comparison to laboratory-derived predictive equations

Laurence Charbonneau, Tadros Ghobrial, Jennifer Nafziger, Catherine Blouin, and Gabriel Pelchat

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Cited articles

Beltaos, S.: River Ice Jams, Water Resources Publications, LLC, Highlands, United States of America, ISBN 978-0-918334-87-9, 1995. 
Beltaos, S.: River ice breakup, Water Resources Publications, LLC, ISBN 978-1-887201-50-6, 2008. 
Beltaos, S. and Prowse, T. D.: Climate impacts on extreme ice-jam events in Canadian rivers, Hydrol. Sci. J., 46, 157–181, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2001)127:8(650), 2001. 
Beltaos, S. and Tang, P.: Applying HEC-RAS to simulate river ice jams: snags and practical hints, CGU HS Committee on River Ice Processes and the Environment, Edmonton, Canada, 16 pp., https://cripe.ca/docs/beltaos-tang-2013-pdf (last access: 23 December 2025), 2013. 
Beltaos, S., Carter, T., and Rowsell, R.: Measurements and analysis of ice breakup and jamming characteristics in the Mackenzie Delta, Canada, Cold Reg. Sci. Technol., 82, 110–123, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2012.05.013, 2012. 
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This study fills a gap in river ice engineering by providing field data on ice jam formation at river confluences. Data were collected at four confluences in Québec, Canada, over four winters (2021–2024). The study combines field observations with laboratory-based predictive equations to analyze breakup processes, hydro-environmental factors, and ice interactions. Results show that laboratory equations can predict jam formation when breakup mechanisms and key parameters are defined.
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