Underwater camera system for frazil ice studies

在北方河流的封冻期，当河水冷却到略低于零度时，在河流的湍流部分就会形成冰。这些冰粒首先悬浮在水流中，在整个水流深度中形成类似于冰粒的“暴风雪”。然而，它们在过冷水中具有很强的粘性，并会聚集在一起形成冰碴球，最终漂浮到水面，形成冰盘。悬浮的冰碴也很容易粘附在自然和人造表面上，这可能会造成严重的问题。它可以迅速积累，使运河和河流收缩或堵塞，造成洪水或干扰航运和航行，并堵塞处理厂和工业设施的取水结构。在水力发电站，取水口可能会被冰碴完全堵塞，导致发电机长时间关闭。更好地了解冰碴的运输和沉积将有利于各种行业，也可能导致更好的战略，以减轻问题。在我们能够完全理解冰碛的发展，运输和沉积之前，我们需要能够测量这些过程，并将它们与控制因素（水流水力学和天气条件）联系起来。

During the freeze-up period on northern rivers, frazil ice forms in the turbulent portions of the river flow, when the water cools to slightly below zero. These frazil particles are first carried in suspension by the flow, creating something like a 'snowstorm' of ice particles throughout the flow depth. However, they are very adhesive in supercooled water, and will cluster together forming balls of frazil slush that eventually float up to the water surface, forming ice pans. Suspended frazil also readily adheres to natural and man-made surfaces, and this can create significant problems. It can quickly accumulate to constrict or block canals and rivers, causing flooding or interfering with shipping and navigation, and it can clog water intake structures at treatment plants and industrial facilities. At hydroelectric generating stations, water intakes can become completely blocked with frazil, shutting down the power generators for extended periods of time. An improved understanding of frazil transport and deposition would benefit a variety of industries and could also lead to better strategies for mitigating problems. Before we can fully understand frazil development, transport, and deposition, we need to be able to measure these processes and link them to the controlling factors (streamflow hydraulics and weather conditions).