Changes in the Thickness of Ice Cover on Water Bodies Subject to Human Pressure (Silesian Upland, Southern Poland)

Maksymilian Solarski,Mariusz Rzetala

doi:10.3389/feart.2021.675216

Abstract

The paper discusses the reasons behind the variation in the thickness of ice on 39 anthropogenic water bodies located in the Silesian Upland (southern Poland). The studies were conducted over the course of three consecutive winter seasons. The measurements and observations were scheduled every 2 days during the freezing and ablation of the ice, and every 4 days when ice cover was present. Each time the thickness of the ice cover and the snow layer covering it were measured. The results show that the 35 water bodies studied are characterized by a similar—quasi-natural—ice regime, in which ice thickness variation depends mostly on the air temperature and the thickness of the snow layer covering the ice. The ice thickness on those water bodies does not significantly differ from that observed on lakes located in northern Poland, measuring on average from circa 4 to 21 cm, and with maximum thicknesses ranging from circa 14 to 40 cm, depending on the season. Four water bodies are characterized by different ice conditions; in their case the average and maximum ice thickness was significantly lower. In the Niezdara N water body this was caused by the inflow of warmer potamic water (quasi-natural regime), whereas in Pod Borem, Sośnicka, and Somerek it was caused by discharges of warm mine water (anthropogenic regime).

Highlights

Data on the thickness of ice covering lakes and water bodies provide one of the key characteristics describing their ice regimes (Choinski, 2007b; Leppäranta, 2009, 2015; Ashton, 2011; Bengtsson, 2012a; Kirillin et al, 2012)
The thickness of ice covering lakes is a result of several environmental factors, out of which the most important ones include: the location of the lake, the temperature patterns during the winter season, the amount of heat accumulated in the lake water and bottom sediment, and the amount of snowfall, which translates into the thickness of the snow cover covering the ice
The thinnest ice was typically found on small water bodies, for which even a small drop in air temperature below 0◦C led to the formation of ice crystals (Bengtsson, 2012a)

Summary

Introduction

Data on the thickness of ice covering lakes and water bodies provide one of the key characteristics describing their ice regimes (Choinski, 2007b; Leppäranta, 2009, 2015; Ashton, 2011; Bengtsson, 2012a; Kirillin et al, 2012). The centuries-old human activity relating to the exploitation of mineral resources, the development of many branches of industry, and heavy urbanization processes are all responsible for transforming almost all the environmental components of this region. One effect of this activity is the presence of numerous anthropogenic water bodies in the landscape of this part of Poland, which result from both intentional and unintentional activity (Rzetala and Jagus, 2012; Machowski et al, 2016). Despite the fact that anthropogenic water bodies are not a natural part of the local ecosystem, they undergo the same processes as natural lakes since their very formation, and the anthropogenic modification of limnic processes, results mostly from pollution

Methods

Results

Conclusion