The thermometer that made it through the 2009-flood
Addition -Our perception of the river freeze-up:
Somebody asked about the river freeze-up and how it sounds strange that we are still looking at open water, in December, at minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Here is a - by no means scientific - explanation, that is based on Elias' 30 year experience with the river. The Yukon River is 2,000 kilometres long and does not freeze everywhere at the same time, nor does it start freezing from the mouth, making it's way upriver. It freezes, where the ice sheets, that build up as the temperatures drop, jam up in narrow and shallow spots and at cold temperatures (like right now at minus 30). Once such a jam exists, the oncoming ice comes to a halt too, and slowly the river freezes up – upriver from the jam.
Downriver from such a jam, the river might stay open for a longer time, also because less ice sheets are coming down and with the current still moving the water, it is not easy for the ice to build up on the surface. We believe that the ice jammed up somewhere not far upriver from our place (there is a spot, where a big rock sticks into the middle of the river, forcing it to make a 90-degree-turn – ideal conditions for a jam!), leaving us with an open river, while in places like Dawson City, the river froze weeks ago.
Luckily, a few days ago, the ice jammed up below Raven, about 40 kilometres downriver from here. Now, the river is slowly freezing up from there towards upriver. We hope that it will reach our place any time. Indicators for that to happen soon are a rising water level, the ice is slowing down, and less water vapours are rising from the river.
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Stay warm!
ReplyDeleteIs the ice flow coming down under existing ice?
ReplyDeleteIt seems odd that the Yukon river would still be open.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
ReplyDeleteonly -10 here (Cels.)
Take care! :)
Thanks Pat and Michi – Elias is a great fire-keeper, and I know the basics myself, so our den is nice and warm.
ReplyDeleteCreek Watcher, thanks for your question! Here is a - by no means scientific - explanation, that is based on Elias' 30 year experience with the river. The Yukon River is 2,000 kilometres long and does not freeze everywhere at the same time, nor does it start freezing from the mouth, making it's way upriver. It freezes, where the ice sheets, that build up as the temperatures drop, jam up in narrow and shallow spots and at cold temperatures (like right now at minus 30). Once such a jam exists, the oncoming ice comes to a halt too, and slowly the river freezes up – upriver from the jam. Now, downriver from such a jam, the river might stay open for a longer time, also because less ice sheets are coming down and with the current still moving the water, it is not easy for the ice to build up on the surface. We believe that the ice jammed up somewhere not far upriver from our place (there is a spot, where a big rock sticks into the middle of the river, forcing it to make a 90-degree-turn – ideal conditions for a jam!), leaving us with an open river, while in places like Dawson City, the river froze weeks ago. Luckily, a few days ago, the ice jammed up below Raven, about 40 kilometres downriver from here. Now the river is slowly freezing up from there towards upriver. We hope that it will reach our place any time. Indicators for that to happen soon are a rising water level, the ice is slowing down, and less water vapours are rising from the river.
Am I making sense? Ask again, if not!
Thanks for the ice explanation. It does make sense.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that there are parallels between many of your ice and wildlife observations and those in the southern Yukon. You have a massive ice jam and I see one on a much smaller scale. I see your photos of a porcupine and see one in the back yard within a few days.
Its very interesting!
creek watcher