The large, poleward flowing rivers of Siberia, such as the Ob River, experience persistent and severe floods when river ice breaks up in the spring. Ice-jams are common on the Tom River, a tributary of the Ob, resulting in a rapid rise in water levels upstream of the jam and submergence of thousands of homes. Furthermore, a sudden breach of the ice-jam releases a flood wave that can cause extensive damage downstream. By Ray A. Kostaschuk, Simon Fraser University, Canada; Dmitriy A. Vershinin; Valeri A. Zemtsov, Tomsk State University, Western Siberia, Russia. Floods in large rivers are caused by a...
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