Ice Loads on Dams

Taraldsvikfossen Reservoir

Overview

Taraldsvikfossen reservoir is a small drinking water reservoir that has been used to measure ice loads since winter season 2012/13.

Background

The area aound Narvik is the only place in Norway where ice loads on hydropower structures have been measured. Ice load and environmental measurements at Taraldsvikfossen Reservoir, near Narvik, have been ongoing since winter season 2012/13, originally started as part of the ColdTech project. The reservoir is located 213 m above sea level. Ice forms in the reservoir each year in fall and persists through approximately May, with the highest loads seen typically during the first three months of a year.

Current Data

An Excel spreadsheet (.xmlx) with current measurements is available here.

04 Mar 2024, 12:20 CET
Logger Supply Voltage13.8 V
Air Temperature-1.6 °C
Water Temperature at 1.3 m Depth0.6 °C
Ice load data

Preliminary line load comparison (interactive)

Environmental data

Environmental data (interactive)

Ice Stresses

Ice stress data

Ice stress data Station A (interactive)

Ice stress data

Ice stress data Station B (interactive)

Ice stress data

Ice stress data Station C (interactive)

Ice stress data

Ice stress data Station E (interactive)

Temperatures

Ice temperature

Ice temperature data Station A (interactive)

Ice temperature

Ice temperature data Station B (interactive)

Ice temperature

Ice temperature data Station C (interactive)

Ice temperature

Ice temperature data Station E (interactive)

Thermal Model Comparison, Stations A & E

Stress Model

Ice Stress Model Comparison, Depth Level 1 (interactive)

Stress Model

Ice Stress Model Comparison, Depth Level 2 (interactive)

Stress Model

Ice Stress Model Comparison, Depth Level 3 (interactive)

Stress Model

Ice Stress Model Comparison, Depth Level 4 (interactive)

Cameras

Camera Taraldsvikfossen Reservoir Forward Camera

Taraldsvikfossen Reservoir Forward Camera, 5 May 2021
Archive

Recent Seasons

Summary of ice formation and break-up

Click on dates in table below to watch timelapse movies.
TaraldsvikfossenTjårdavatnetIptojávriKalhovdfjorden
2013 break-up 18-22 May- - -
2013 ice formation17 Oct 19 Nov - -
2014 break-up 24-29 May7-20 Jun- -
2014 ice formation12 Oct 5 Nov 10-27 Oct -
2015 break-up 29 May-3 Jun1-19 Jul29 Jun-5 Jul -
2015 ice formation12 Nov 21 Nov 16 Nov -
2016 break-up14-17 May early Jun 26 May-1 Jun -
2016 ice formation16 Oct 23 Nov 3 Nov 3 Nov
2017 break-up25 May-8 Jun 10 Jun-3 Jul 6-16 Jun mid May
2017 ice formation23 Oct - - 14 Nov
2018 break-up8-16 May - - -
2018 ice formation24 Oct - - -
2019 break-up16-19 May - - -
2019 ice formation9 Oct - - -
2020 break-up25 May-1 Jun - - -
2020 ice formation18 Oct - - -
2021 break-up. - - -
An early ice cover at Taraldsvikfossen broke up in October 2015 before the final ice cover formed on 12 Nov 2015. The 2016 water level was too low in Tjårdavatnet during break-up to determine the break-up date from the camera vantage point. Based on satellite images, the estimate would be around 8 June 2016. The 2017 water level was low in Kalhovdfjorden and significant snow cover in the field of view obsured the view of the ice. However, break-up was pretty much complete by 30 May 2017.

 

Timelapse of Ice Seasons

Processed Data of Previous Years

Taraldsvikfossen data recorded in previous seasons are available here (Excel 2007 files, 30 to 100 MB each):

References

  1. Petrich, C., I. Sæther, M. O'Sadnick, and B. Arntsen (2020). Static Ice Loads on a Dam in a Small Norwegian Reservoir. In Proceedings of the 25th IAHR International Symposium on Ice, Trondheim, Norway, 23-25 November 2020. 16pp. (pdf)
  2. Petrich, C. and B. Arntsen (2018). An Overview of Trends and Regional Distribution of Thermal Ice Loads on Dams in Norway. In Proceedings of the 26th International Congress of the International Commission of Large Dams (ICOLD), Q.101, R.72, Vienna, Austria, 1-7 July 2018. (pdf)
  3. O'Sadnick, M., C. Petrich, B. Arntsen, and B. Sand (2016). Observations of Ice Stress at Taraldsvikfossen Reservoir, Narvik, Norway. In Proceedings of the 23rd IAHR International Symposium on Ice, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 31 May to 3 June 2016. (pdf)
  4. O'Sadnick, M., C. Petrich, B. Arntsen, and B. Sand (2016). One Year of Timelapse Photography at Two Norwegian Reservoirs- Observations and Recommendations for Future Field Campaigns to Monitor Ice Stress. In Proceedings of the 23rd IAHR International Symposium on Ice, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 31 May to 3 June 2016. (pdf)
  5. Petrich, C., I. Sæther, B. Sand, and B. Arntsen (2016). Comparing field data with numerical simulations of ice loads on dams. In Proceedings of the 23rd IAHR International Symposium on Ice, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, 31 May to 3 June 2016. (pdf)
  6. Petrich, C., I. Sæther, L. Fransson, B. Sand, and B. Arntsen (2015). Time-dependent spatial distribution of thermal stresses in the ice cover of a small reservoir. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 120, 35-44, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2015.09.003.
  7. Petrich, C., I. Sæther, L. Fransson, B. Sand, and B. Arntsen (2014). Preliminary results from two years of ice stress measurements in a small reservoir, In Proceedings of the 22nd IAHR International Symposium on Ice, Singapore, 11–15 August 2014, A. W.-K. Law (ed), NEWRI Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 452-459. doi:10.3850/978-981-09-0750-1_1191 (pdf)

NRK Nordland reported on 25 Feb 2015: NRK TV