Coupling of the Calculated Freezing and Thawing Front Parameterization in the Earth System Model CAS-ESM

The soil freezing and thawing process affects soil physical properties,such as heat conductivity,heat capacity,and hydraulic conductivity in frozen ground regions,and further affects the processes of soil energy,hydrology,and carbon and nitrogen cycles.In this study,the calculation of freezing and thawing front parameterization was implemented into the earth system model of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS-ESM)and its land component,the Common Land Model(CoLM),to investigate the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts and their effects.Our results showed that the developed models could reproduce the soil freezing and thawing process and the dynamic change of freezing and thawing fronts.The regionally averaged value of active layer thickness in the permafrost regions was 1.92 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was 0.35 cm yr–1.The regionally averaged value of maximum freezing depth in the seasonally frozen ground regions was 2.15 m,and the regionally averaged trend value was–0.48 cm yr–1.The active layer thickness increased while the maximum freezing depth decreased year by year.These results contribute to a better understanding of the freezing and thawing cycle process.

Response of Freezing/Thawing Indexes to the Wetting Trend under Warming Climate Conditions over the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau during 1961–2010:A Numerical Simulation

Since the 1990s,the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau(QTP)has experienced a strikingly warming and wetter climate that alters the thermal and hydrological properties of frozen ground.A positive correlation between the warming and thermal degradation in permafrost or seasonally frozen ground(SFG)has long been recognized.Still,a predictive relationship between historical wetting under warming climate conditions and frozen ground has not yet been well demonstrated,despite the expectation that it will become even more important because precipitation over the QTP has been projected to increase continuously in the near future.This study investigates the response of the thermal regime to historical wetting in both permafrost and SFG areas and examines their relationships separately using the Community Land Surface Model version 4.5.Results show that wetting before the 1990s across the QTP mainly cooled the permafrost body in the arid and semiarid zones,with significant correlation coefficients of 0.60 and 0.48,respectively.Precipitation increased continually at the rate of 6.16 mm decade–1 in the arid zone after the 1990s but had a contrasting warming effect on permafrost through a significant shortening of the thawing duration within the active layer.However,diminished rainfall in the humid zone after the 1990s also significantly extended the thawing duration of SFG.The relationship between the ground thawing index and precipitation was significantly negatively correlated(−0.75).The dual effects of wetting on the thermal dynamics of the QTP are becoming critical because of the projected increases in future precipitation.

Mechanics Behavior of Ultra High Toughness Cementitious Composites after Freezing and Thawing

Mechanical behaviors of UHTCC after freezing and thawing were investigated,and compared with those of steel fiber reinforced concrete（SFRC）,air-entrained concrete（AEC） and ordinary concrete（OC）.Four point bending tests had been applied after different freezing-thawing cycles（0,50,100,150,200 and 300 cycles,respectively）.The results showed that residual flexural strength of UHTCC after 300 freezing-thawing cycles was 10.62 MPa（70% of no freezing thawing ones）,while 1.58 MPa（17% of no freezing thawing ones） for SFRC.Flexural toughness of UHTCC decreased by 17%,while 70% for SFRC comparatively.It has been demonstrated experimentally that UHTCC without any air-entraining agent could resist freezing-thawing and retain its high toughness characteristic in cold environment.Consequently,UHTCC could be put into practice for new-built or retrofit of infrastructures in cold regions.

The Impact of Soil Freezing/Thawing Processes on Water and Energy Balances

A frozen soil parameterization coupling of thermal and hydrological processes is used to investigate how frozen soil processes affect water and energy balances in seasonal frozen soil. Simulation results of soil liquid water content and temperature using soil model with and without the inclusion of freezing and thawing processes are evaluated against observations at the Rosemount field station. By comparing the simulated water and heat fluxes of the two cases, the role of phase change processes in the water and energy balances is analyzed. Soil freezing induces upward water flow towards the freezing front and increases soil water content in the upper soil layer. In particular, soil ice obviously prevents and delays the infiltration during rain at Rosemount. In addition, soil freezingthawing processes alter the partitioning of surface energy fluxes and lead the soil to release more sensible heat into the atmosphere during freezing periods.

Effect on anaerobic digestion performance of corn stover by freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment

In order to enhance the biomethane production from corn stover, choosing effective pretreatment is one of the necessary steps before starting anaerobic digestion(AD).This study was aimed to analyze the effectiveness of freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment on substance degradation and AD performance of corn stover.Three ammonia concentrations(2%, 4%, and 6%) with two different moisture contents(50% and 70%) were used to pretreat the corn stover at two temperatures(-20 ℃ and 20 ℃).The result showed that an optimum pretreatment condition for corn stover was at the temperature of -20 ℃, moisture content of 70% and ammonia concentration of 2%.Under the optimum pretreatment condition, the maximum biomethane yield reached 261 ml·(g VS)^(-1), which was 41.08% higher than that of the untreated.Under different pretreatment conditions,the highest loss of lignin at -20 ℃ with 2% ammonia concentration was 63.36% compared with the untreated.The buffer capacity of AD system was also improved after the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment.Therefore, the freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment can be used to improve AD performance for corn stover.This study provides further insight for exploring an efficient freezing–thawing with ammonia pretreatment strategy to enhance AD performance for the practical application.

Influences of Seasonal Freezing and Thawing on Soil Water-stable Aggregates in Orchard in High Cold Region,Northeast China

Soil aggregate stability,as an important indicator of soil functions,may be affected by seasonal freezing and thawing(SFT)and land use in high cold and wet regions.Therefore,comprehensive understanding the effects of SFT on aggregate stability in orchards during winter and spring is crucial to develop appropriate management strategies that can effectively alleviate the degradation of soil quality to ensure sustainable development of orchard ecosystems.To determine the mechanism of degradation in orchard soil quality,the effects of SFT on the stability of water-stable aggregates were examined in apple-pear orchards(Pyrus ussuriensis var.ovoidea)of four different ages(11,25,40,and 63 yr)on 0 to 5%slopes before freezing and after thawing from October 2015 to June 2016 in Longjing City,Yanbian Prefecture,Northeast China,involving a comparison of planted versus adjacent uncultivated lands(control).Soil samples were collected to investigate water-stable aggregate stability in three incremental soil layers(0–20,20–40 and 40–60 cm).In the same samples,iron oxide,organic matter,and clay contents of the soil were also determined.Results showed that the destructive influences of SFT on water-stable aggregates were more pronounced with the increased orchards ages,and SFT exerted severe effects on water-stable aggregates of older orchards(40 and 63 yr)than juvenile orchards.Undergoing SFT,the soil instability index and the percentage of aggregate destruction increased by mean 0.15 mm and 1.86%,the degree of aggregation decreased by mean 1.32%,and the erosion resistance weakened,which consequently led to aggregate stability decreased.In addition,soil free,amorphous,and crystalline iron oxide as well as soil organic matter and clay contents are all important factors affecting the stability of water-stable aggregates,and their changes in their contents were consistent with those in the stability of water-stable aggregates.The results of this study suggest that long-term planting fruit trees can exacerbate the damaging effects of SFT on aggregate stability and further soil erosion increases and nutrient losses in an orchard,which hider sustainable use of soil and the productivity orchards.

Stress-Strain Relationship and Failure Criterion for Concrete after Freezing and Thawing Cycles

The research of the failure criterion and one-dimensional stress-strain relationship of deteriorated concrete were carried out. Based on the damage mechanics theory, the dsmage which reflects the alternation of internal state of material were introduced into the formula presented by Desayi and Krishman and the weighted twin-shear strength theory. As a nondestructive examination method in common use, the ultrasonic technique was adopted in the study, and the ultrasonic velocity was used to establish the damage variable. After that, the failure criterion and one-dimensional stress-strain relationship for deteriorated concrete were obtained. Eventually, tests were carried out to study the evolution laws on the damage. The results show that the more freezing and thawing cycles are, the more apparently the failure surface shrinks. Meanwhile, the comparison between theoretical data and experimental data verifies tile rationality of tile damage-based one-dimensional stress-strain relationship proposed.

Comparison of the water change characteristics between the formation and dissociation of methane hydrate and the freezing and thawing of ice in sand

Hydrate formation and dissociation processes are always accompanied by water migration in porous media, which is similar to the ice. In our study, a novel pF-meter sensor which could detect the changes of water content inside sand was first applied to hydrate formation and dissociation processes. It also can study the water change characteristics in the core scale of a partially saturated silica sand sample and compare the differences of water changes between the processes of formation and dissociation of methane hydrate and freezing and thawing of ice. The experimental results showed that the water changes in the processes of formation and dissociation of methane hydrate were basically similar to that of the freezing and thawing of ice in sand. When methane hydrate or ice was formed, water changes showed the decrease in water content on the whole and the pF values rose following the formation processes. However, there were very obvious differences between the ice thawing and hydrate dissociation.

A model of unfrozen water content in rock during freezing and thawing with experimental validation by nuclear magnetic resonance

The unfrozen water content of rock during freezing and thawing has an important influence on its physical and mechanical properties.This study presented a model for calculating the unfrozen water content of rock during freezing and thawing process,considering the influence of unfrozen water film and rock pore structure,which can reflect the hysteresis and super-cooling effects.The pore size distribution cu rves of red sandsto ne and its unfrozen water conte nt under different temperatures during the freezing and thawing process were measured using nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) to validate the proposed model.Comparison between the experimental and calculated results indicated that the theoretical model accu rately reflected the water content change law of red sandstone during the freezing and thawing process.Furthermore,the influences of Hamaker constant and surface relaxation parameter on the model results were examined.The results showed that the appropriate magnitude order of Hamaker constant for the red sandstone was 10J to 10J;and when the relaxation parameter of the rock surface was within 25-30 μm/ms,the calculated unfrozen water content using the proposed model was consistent with the experimental value.

Alternate freezing and thawing enhanced the sediment and nutrient runoff loss in the restored soil of the alpine mining area

This study highlights the influence of freezing-thawing processes on soil erosion in an alpine mine restoration area. Accordingly, a series of simulation experiments were conducted to investigate runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses, and potential influencing factors under freeze-thaw(FT) conditions. Three FT treatments(i.e., 0, 3, and 5 FT cycles), and two soil moisture contents(SMCs;i.e., 10% and 20% SMC on a gravimetric basis) were assessed. The runoff, sediment yield, ammonia nitrogen(AN), nitrate nitrogen(NN), total phosphorus(TP), and dissolved phosphorus(DP) losses from runoff were characterized under different rainfall durations. The fitting results indicated that the runoff rate and sediment rate, AN, NN, TP, and DP concentrations in runoff could be described by exponential functions. FT action increased the total runoff volume and sediment yield by 14.6%–26.0% and 8.8%–35.2%, respectively. The runoff rate and sediment rate increased rapidly with the increment of FT cycles before stabilizing. At 20% SMC, the total runoff volume and sediment yield were significantly higher than those at 10% SMC. The loss curves of AN and NN concentrations varied due to differences in their chemical properties. FT action and high SMC promoted AN and NN losses, whereas the FT cycles had little effect. FT action increased TP and DP losses by 60.2%–220.1% and 48.4%–129.8%, respectively, compared to cases with no FT action;the highest TP and DP losses were recorded at 20% SMC. This study provides a deep understanding of freezing-thawing mechanisms in the soils of alpine mine restoration areas and the influencing factors of these mechanisms on soil erosion, thereby supporting the development of erosion prevention and control measures in alpine mine restoration areas.

How freezing and thawing processes affect black-soil aggregate stability in northeastern China

Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of freezing and thawing processes on wet aggregate stability （WAS） of black soil. Wet aggregate stability was determined by different aggregate size groups, different water contents, various freeze-thaw cycles, and various freezing temperatures. The results showed that, when at suitable water content, aggregate stability was enhanced, aggregate sta-bility will be disrupted when moisture content is too high or too low, especially higher water content. Temperature also had a significant ef-fect, but moisture content determined the suitable freezing temperatures for a given soil. Water-stable aggregate （WSA〉0.5）, the total aggre-gate content, and mean weight diameter decreasing with the freeze-thaw cycles increase, reached to 5 percent significance level. The reason for crumbing aggregates is the water and air conflict, thus raising the hypothesis that water content affects the aggregate stability in the process of freezing and thawing.

Effect of the frozen layer on the stability of cut soil slopes during seasonal freezing and thawing

Research on the stability of soil slopes in seasonally frozen regions has mainly focused on slope failures during the thawing window.There are few studies on slope stability during the freezing window and its subsequent influence on slope failure in the next thawing window.In this paper,soil strength was tested during freezing and thawing to obtain temperature-dependent strength parameters for the simulation of slope stability.Then,the slope's temperature field over an entire year was accurately simulated so that characteristics of the frozen layer could be determined at any time.Based on the above results,the progressive failure modes of frozen soil slopes are discussed.The results show that:1)during the freezing window,depth of the frozen soil layer increases,as does the slope's safety factor,while a yield zone propagates towards the slope shoulder.(2)During the thawing window,the frozen soil layer shrinks in depth while the yield zone continuously expands,which decreases the safety factor.Comprehensive analysis of these results indicate that the frozen layer provides a“toe-locking effect”that increases the safety factor during the freezing window,while it also provides a“dragging effect”that propagates the yield zone towards the slope shoulder.During the thawing window,the“toe-locking effect”gradually diminishes;a continuous sliding surface is formed,which lead to a landslide.The frozen soil layer of the freezing window accelerates the slope sliding in the thawing window.

Factors influencing the outcome of embryo freezing and thawing program

Objective: To investigate the factors that might influence the success of an embryo freezing and thawing program. Method: The relationship between the pregnancy rate in 73 cycles of embryo freezing and thawing program and the following factors was analyzed: maternal age, E 2 level at the time of HCG trigger, embryo storage time, number of thawed embryos transferred, presence of sponsoring embryos and intact embryos. And the survival rate of thawed embryos with different morphology, cell stage and storage time was evaluated. Result: Transfer with three or more than three thawed embryos resulted in pregnancy rates of 38.5% and 35.7%, respectively, compared with 5.3% for transfer of fewer than three embryos. The presence of sponsoring embryos and intact embryos significantly increases pregnancy rate in embryo freezing and thawing program. No other factor examined had any effect on pregnancy outcome. The survival rate of good morphology embryos was higher than poor ones, but was not influenced by cell stage and storage time. Conclusion: Embryo morphology before freezing, number of thawed embryos transferred and the presence of intact embryos are important to the outcome of embryo freezing and thawing program.

The Relations of Change Rate of Constitutive Variables for the Freezing and Thawing of Water Saturated Porous Media

The relations of change rate of an independent variable, volumetric strain of the porous skeleton, with the change rates of a kind of constitutive variables, such as porosity, volumetric strain of the solid matrix, are derived from the definition of the porosity of water saturated porous media; and the relations of the change rates of another two independent variables, pressure of the pore liquid water and temperature, with the change rates of another kind of constitutive variables, such as pressure of the pore ice, average pressure of the pore liquid water and ice, and average stress of the solid matrix, are obtained from the Clausius Clapeyron relation in the process of freezing or thawing, definitions of the average pore pressure and effective stress. Based on the hypothesis of linear thermoelasticity, principle of effective stress and these relations, the change rates of all constitutive variables may be described with the change rates of the three independent variables.

Freezing and Thawing Durability of Ultra High Strength Concrete

Resistance to freezing and thawing of two UHSC （ultra high strength concrete） mixtures was evaluated in accordance with ASTM C 666 Procedure A. The two mixtures （plain and fiber reinforced） were developed using materials local to southern New Mexico, USA. Three different curing regimens were investigated for the mixture with fibers and one curing regimen was studied for the mixture without fibers. All curing regimens included 24 h of ambient curing followed by four days of wet curing at 50 ℃, and then two days dry curing at 200 ℃. At an age of seven days, one batch of fiber reinforced specimens was air cured at ambient conditions for the following six days and then placed in a water bath at 4.4 ℃ for 24 h prior to initiating freezing and thawing cycles. The second batch was air cured from day seven to day 12, and then wet cured for one day at 23 ℃ prior to being placed in the 4.4 ℃ water bath. The final batch was wet cured at 23 ℃ from the seventh day to an age of 13 days and then placed in the 4.4 ℃ water bath. The mixture with no fibers was air cured from the seventh day to an age of 12 days and then wet cured for one day at 23 ℃ prior to being placed in the 4.4 ℃ water bath. Higher moisture levels during curing produced greater initial dynamic elastic modulus values and durability factors at the end of the freezing and thawing tests, with the greatest durability factor being 87.5. Steel fibers were observed to improve both compressive strength and durability factor for UHSC.

Effects of freeze-thaw cycles on sandstone in sunny and shady slopes

A growing rock engineering activity in cold regions is facing the threat of freeze-thaw(FT)weathering,especially in high mountains where the sunny-shady slope effects strongly control the difference in weathering behavior of rocks.In this paper,an investigation of the degradation of petrophysical characteristics of sandstone specimens subjected to FT cycle tests to simulate the sunny-shady slope effects is presented.To this aim,non-destructive and repeatable testing techniques including weight,ultrasonic waves,and nuclear magnetic resonance methods on standard specimens were performed.For the sunny slope specimens,accompanied by the enlargement of small pores,100 FT cycles caused a significant decrease in P-wave velocity with an average of 23%,but a consistent rise of 0.18%in mass loss,34%in porosity,67%in pore geometrical mean radius,and a remarkable 14.5-fold increase in permeability.However,slight changes with some abnormal trends in physical parameters of the shady slope specimens were observed during FT cycling,which can be attributed to superficial granular disaggregation and pore throat obstruction.Thermal shocks enhance rock weathering on sunny slopes during FT cycles,while FT weathering on shady slopes is restricted to the small pores and the superficial cover.These two factors are primarily responsible for the differences in FT weathering intensity between sunny and shady slopes.The conclusions derived from the interpretation of the experimental results may provide theoretical guidance for the design of slope-failure prevention measures and the selection of transportation routes in cold mountainous regions.

Quantification of the concrete freeze–thaw environment across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau based on machine learning algorithms

The reasonable quantification of the concrete freezing environment on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau(QTP) is the primary issue in frost resistant concrete design, which is one of the challenges that the QTP engineering managers should take into account. In this paper, we propose a more realistic method to calculate the number of concrete freeze–thaw cycles(NFTCs) on the QTP. The calculated results show that the NFTCs increase as the altitude of the meteorological station increases with the average NFTCs being 208.7. Four machine learning methods, i.e., the random forest(RF) model, generalized boosting method(GBM), generalized linear model(GLM), and generalized additive model(GAM), are used to fit the NFTCs. The root mean square error(RMSE) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 32.3, 4.3, 247.9, and 161.3, respectively. The R^(2) values of the RF, GBM, GLM, and GAM are 0.93, 0.99, 0.48, and 0.66, respectively. The GBM method performs the best compared to the other three methods, which was shown by the results of RMSE and R^(2) values. The quantitative results from the GBM method indicate that the lowest, medium, and highest NFTC values are distributed in the northern, central, and southern parts of the QTP, respectively. The annual NFTCs in the QTP region are mainly concentrated at 160 and above, and the average NFTCs is 200 across the QTP. Our results can provide scientific guidance and a theoretical basis for the freezing resistance design of concrete in various projects on the QTP.

Surface crack evolution patterns in freeze-thaw damage of fissured rock bodies

To explore the effects of freeze‒thaw cycles on the mechanical properties and crack evolution of fissured sandstone,biaxial compression experiments were carried out on sandstone subjected to freeze‒thaw cycles to characterize the changes in the physical and mechanical properties of fissured sandstone caused by freeze‒thaw cycles.The crack evolution and crack change process on the surface of the fissured sandstone were recorded and analysed in detail via digital image technology(DIC).Numerical simulation was used to reveal the expansion process and damage mode of fine-scale cracks under the action of freeze‒thaw cycles,and the simulation results were compared and analysed with the experimental data to verify the reliability of the numerical model.The results show that the mass loss,porosity,peak stress and elastic modulus all increase with increasing number of freeze‒thaw cycles.With an increase in the number of freeze‒thaw cycles,a substantial change in displacement occurs around the prefabricated cracks,and a stress concentration appears at the crack tip.As new cracks continue to sprout at the tips of the prefabricated cracks until the microcracks gradually penetrate into the main cracks,the displacement cloud becomes obviously discontinuous,and the contours of the displacement field in the crack fracture damage area simply intersect with the prefabricated cracks to form an obvious fracture.The damage patterns of the fractured sandstone after freeze‒thaw cycles clearly differ,forming a symmetrical"L"-shaped damage pattern at zero freeze‒thaw cycles,a symmetrical"V"-shaped damage pattern at 10 freeze‒thaw cycles,and a"V"-shaped damage pattern at 20 freeze‒thaw cycles.After 20 freeze‒thaw cycles,a"V"-shaped destruction pattern and"L"-shaped destruction pattern are formed;after 30 freeze‒thaw cycles,an"N"-shaped destruction pattern is formed.This shows that the failure mode of fractured sandstone gradually becomes more complicated with an increasing number of freeze‒thaw cycles.The effects of freeze‒thaw cycles on the direction and rate of crack propagation are revealed through a temperature‒load coupled model,which provides an important reference for an in-depth understanding of the freeze‒thaw failure mechanisms of fractured rock masses.

Variations and trends of the freezing and thaw- ing index along the Qinghai-Xizang Railway for 1966-2004

Annual freezing and thawing index of 7 meteorological stations along the Qing- hai-Xizang Railway were calculated based on daily maximum and minimum temperature records for 1966-2004. Trends of annual freezing and thawing index were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test and a simple linear regression method. The results show that： 1） The mean annual freezing indices range from 95 to 2300℃·d and the mean annual thawing indices range from 630 to 3250℃·d. The mean annual freezing index of the 7 stations exhibited decreasing trends with decreasing rate of -16.6- -59.1 ℃·d/10a. The mean annual thawing index of these 7 stations showed increasing trends with the related decreasing rate is 19.83-45.6℃·d/10a. 2） The MK trend test indicated the significant decreasing trends （significant at 〈 0.05 significant level） in the annual freezing index for most stations except for Golmud. The significant increasing trends can be observed in the annual thawing index for 4 stations except Golmud and Tuotuohe. Golmud was the only station with no trends in both annual freezing and annual thawing index.

Mechanism of slope failure in loess terrains during spring thawing

Slope failure in loess terrains of Northern China during spring thawing period is closely related to the freeze-thaw cycling that surface soils inevitably experienced. Field surveys were carried out on natural and artificial slopes in thirteen surveying sites located in the Northern Shaanxi, the center of Loess Plateau, covering five characteristic topographic features including tablelands, ridges, hills, gullies and valleys. Based on the scale that is involved in freeze-thaw cycling, the induced failures can be classified into three main modes, i.e., erosion, peeling and thaw collapse, depending on both high porosity and loose cementation of loess that is easily affected. Model tests on loess slopes with gradients of 53.1°, 45.0° and 33.7° were carried out to reveal the heat transfer, water migration and deformation during slope failure. The surface morphology of slopes was photographed, with flake shaped erosion and cracks noted. For three slope models, time histories for the thermal regime exhibit three obvious cycles of freeze and thaw andthe maximum frost depth develops downwards as freeze-thaw cycling proceeds. Soil water in the unfrozen domain beneath was migrated towards the slope surface, as can be noticed from the considerable change in the unfrozen water content, almost synchronous with the variation of temperature. The displacement in both vertical and horizontal directions varies over time and three obvious cycles can be traced. The residual displacement for each cycle tends to grow and the slopes with higher gradients are more sensitive to potentially sliding during freeze-thaw cycling.