Coupled water flow and heat transport in frozen soils

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Despite sub-freezing temperatures, liquid water is still present in frozen soils and important soil processes such as nutrient cycling are active at sub-freezing temperatures. With respect to the soil water balance, soil frost depths in seasonally frozen soils significantly influence the partitioning of snowmelt into surface runoff or soil moisture which may potentially cause flooding in wet years or mitigate drought in dry years. Accurate measurement and simulation of transient soil moisture contents in frozen soils is key to understanding the environmental significance of these processes and the influence of climate change on these processes. Therefore, the long-term objective of this research is: To increase understanding of coupled water flow and heat transport processes in frozen soil and develop the state of the art with respect to measurement of these processes.