Ice thickness variations over short distances in Lake Erie

Session: Physical Processes in Lakes (3)

Stephen Constant, USDOC/NOAA/GLERL, [email protected]
Nathan Hawley, Great Lakes Env. Research Lab, NOAA, [email protected]
Jia Wang, NOAA, GLERL, [email protected]
Dmitry Beletsky, CIGLR, SEAS, University of Michigan, [email protected]

Abstract

In situ measurements of ice thickness were made in the central basin of Lake Erie during the winter of 2010-2011.  Two of the stations were located approximately 0.5 km apart, which allowed us to compare differences in ice thickness over this distance.  Measurements were made with bottom-mounted profilers located in 19 m of water near the south coast of the lake just west of Lorain, Ohio.  One was a Nortek AWAC profiler that also measured currents and ice velocity, the other was a SWIPS ice profiler manufactured by ASL Environmental Engineering.  No velocities were measured at this site.  Ice measurements were made over a 60 day period from December 26, 2010 through February 24, 2011.  Direct comparison of the measurements over this period shows a wide scatter with no obvious correlation.  Only when ice movement between the stations is from one station to the other is there any correlation, and this correlation is most pronounced at a time lag of 2-3 hours.  This translates to an ice velocity of 0.04-0.06 m s^-1, which is consistent with the measured ice velocities.