Field observations of ice melt and decay to constrain lake ice model parameterizations

Field observations of ice melt and decay to constrain lake ice model parameterizations | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Hydrological Processes This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 3 December 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Field observations of ice melt and decay to constrain lake ice model parameterizations Authors : Arash Rafat 0000-0003-0424-7011 [email protected] , Homa Kheyrollah Pour 0000-0002-2631-0416 , and Chris Spence 0000-0003-1059-2217 Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176474725.56934458/v1 Published Hydrological Processes Version of record Peer review timeline 233 views 128 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Field measurements within ice covers during the melting period are scarce, often constrained by safety concerns leading to uncertainty in model parameterizations of ice melt. To address these limitations, a Floating Research Station (FRS) was constructed in a small subarctic lake near Yellowknife, Canada to monitor ice processes year-round. Using the FRS, the objective of this study was to delineate key processes influencing ice melt and decay through evaluating heat budget components over three melt seasons: April 1- May 31 of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Our results show that the decay process was both thermally and mechanically driven, with mechanical decay from ice collapse occurring at internal ice porosities of 0.31-0.35 and accounting for 24 - 48% of total ice loss. Thermal melt at the surface (0.6 - 2.1 cm d -1 ) was driven by surface heat absorption (13-160 W m -2 ) and losses via net longwave fluxes (-95.2 - -6.6 W m -2 ). Bottom melt (0.1- 0.6 cm d -1 ) was caused by modest mean daily water-to-ice heat fluxes (< 15 W m -2 ). Melt season lengths varied between 35-49 days, and break-up dates up to 16 days, and were dependent on air temperatures, albedo, and net insolation. Results from this study can be used to improve and constrain melt period parameterizations in ice models while providing needed validation and calibration data in northern, high-latitude environments. Supplementary Material File (submission_hp.docx) Download 2.26 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 03 December 2025 Peer review timeline Published Hydrological Processes Version of Record 10 Feb 2026 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Collection Hydrological Processes Keywords albedo energy budget ice decay ice melt snowmelt subarctic Authors Affiliations Arash Rafat 0000-0003-0424-7011 [email protected] Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada Cold Regions Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada View all articles by this author Homa Kheyrollah Pour 0000-0002-2631-0416 Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada Cold Regions Research Centre, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada View all articles by this author Chris Spence 0000-0003-1059-2217 Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 233 views 128 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Arash Rafat, Homa Kheyrollah Pour, Chris Spence. Field observations of ice melt and decay to constrain lake ice model parameterizations. Authorea . 03 December 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.176474725.56934458/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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