Transverse flow distributions in ice-covered channels

Traditional discharge measurements in ice-covered river channels are time-consuming and costly, thus limiting the elucidation of flow patterns during winter. This study proposes an analytical model for quantifying the transverse distributions of the unit-width discharge and the depth-averaged streamwise velocity in ice-covered channels by extending an existing stream-tube method to include the effects of cover and bed roughness and cross-sectional geometry. A new set of equations are obtained for this extended method. An empirical coefficient α is included to lump the effects of the shape and friction factors of the ice cover and the channel bed. The model is compared with flume experiments and field data for fully and partially ice-covered flows to examine the variation of the coefficient α. © 2023 The Authors. River published by Wiley-VCH GmbH on behalf of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR).