The ice phenomena dynamics of small anthropogenic water bodies in the Silesian Upland, Poland

The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of the process of a course of ice creation phenomena in two small water bodies located in the Silesian Upland. The studies and observations of ice formation on the water bodies were conducted during the period 10th November 2011 to 23rd March 2012. The following parameters were determined each day: degree of ice coverage on each water body, thickness and ice structure and thickness of snow cover on each water body. From the studies it results that a course of the ice formation of both water bodies was almost identical. The same maximum ice thickness was recorded in both cases. It was 36 cm in that season, with slight differences in average thickness. The course of particular phases of ice formation in different water regions was also very similar. The number of days with the ice phenomena and the number of days from the beginning to the end of the ice phenomena were identical in both cases, being 96 and 131 days, respectively. The slight differences over several days were recorded in the case of: number of days with shore ice (lb), number of days with partial ice cover (lcz), number of days with an incomplete ice cover (lnp), number of breaks in the ice cover (B). Additionally, with daily measurements of ice cover thickness the relationships between the course of the average daily air temperature from the meteorological station of Faculty of Earth Sciences of University of Silesia and the daily changes in the ice thickness in the water regions in question were determined by using Spearman’s correlation coefficient. In both cases the relationships were strong and they were r= −0,84(p<0,001) for the Amendy water body and r= −0,87 (p<0,001) for the Żabie Doły S water body. The maximum and average ice thickness, duration of the ice phenomena and ice cover and the obtained correlation coefficients between the air temperature and the changes in the ice thickness show that the water bodies in question are characterized by a quasi-natural ice regime.