Seasonal freezing-thawing process and hydrothermal characteristics of soil on the Loess Plateau, China

In seasonally frozen soil regions,freezing-thawing action and hydrothermal effect have strong influence on physical and mechanical behavior of shallow soil.A field experiment on the Loess Plateau in Northwest China was carried out to analyze the freezing-thawing process and hydrothermal characteristics of shallow soil considering the climate influence.The results show that the maximum seasonal freezing depth under bare ground surface in this area is from 20 cm to 50 cm.The ground temperature shows a similar changing trend with air temperature,but it has lagged behind the air temperature,and the ground temperature amplitude exponentially decreases with the increase of soil depth.The seasonally frozen soil has experienced four typical stages:unfrozen period,alternate freezing period,freezing period and alternate thawing period.The freezing-thawing process is characterized by unidirectional freezing and bidirectional thawing.The water content of shallow soil is significantly affected by air temperature,evaporation and precipitation,and the soil water content shows a"low-high-low"changing trend with the increase of depth.The soil temperature and water content interact with each other,and are often coupled.The variation trend of soil moisture with time is consistent with the change trend of the ground temperature with time in each soil layer,andthe degree of consistency is higher in the near surface soil than that in the lower layer.Also,the spatial-temporal characteristics of soil moisture and temperature is that the volumetric water content and ground temperatureof near surface soil have strong variability,and the range valueKa and coefficient of variation Cvof soil water content and ground temperaturein different seasons show a decreasing trend with the increase of depth.

Effects of Nitrogen Application on N_2O Flux from Fluvo-Aquic Soil Subject to Freezing-Thawing Process

A lab-incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different forms of nitrogen application （ammonium, NH4＋-N; nitrate, NO3--N; and amide-N, NH2-N） and different concentrations （40, 200 and 800 mg L-1） on N2O emission from the fluvo-aquic soil subjected to a freezing-thawing cycling. N2O emission sharply decreased at the start of soil freezing, and then showed a smooth line with soil freezing. In subject to soil thawing, N2O emission increased and reached a peak at the initial thawing stage. The average N2O emissions with addition of NH4＋-N, NO3 -N and NH2-N are 119.01, 611.61 and 148. 22 ug m-2 h-1, respectively, at the concentration of 40 mg L-1; 205.28, 1 084.40 and 106.13 ug m2 h-1 at the concentration of 200 mg L-1; and 693.95, 1 820.02 and 49.74 ug m-2 h4 at the concentration of 800 mg L-1. The control is only 100.35 ug m-2 h-1. N2O emissions with addition of NH4＋-N and NO3--N increased with increasing concentration, by ranging from 17.49 to 425.67% for NH4＋-N, and from 563.38 to 1458.6% for NO3--N compared with control. There was a timelag for N2O emission to reach a steady state with an increase of concentration. In contrast, by adding NH2-N to soil, N2O emission decreased with increasing concentration. In sum, NH4＋-N or NO3--N fertilizer incorporated in soil enhanced the cumulative N2O emission from the fluvo-aquic soil relative to amide-N. This study suggested that ammonium and nitrate concentration in overwintering water should be less than 200 and 40 mg L-1 in order to reduce N2O emissions from soil, regardless of amide-N.

Response Relationship between the Seasonal Freezing-Thawing Process of Soil and Spatial Factor Changes in the Dayekou Basin of the Qilian Mountains

Objective: In this study, the influence and response relationship between the seasonal freezing-thawing process of soil and the spatial factor changes in the management and utilization of water resource processes were explored. Methods: The monitoring equipment in this study was arranged at different altitudes, gradients, and slope directions, such as the typical forest sample area in the Dayekou Basin of the Qilian Mountains. The spatial variation characteristics of the seasonal freezing-thawing process of the soil were analyzed, and a regression model was established. Results: 1) The results of this study determined that the rate of the soil’s freezing increased with the altitude in a trend of volatility. However, the rate of the thawing of the frozen soil was found to have an opposite trend. The variation degree of the freezing-thawing process increased with the altitude in a trend of volatility. The end time of the approximate soil freezing with altitude increased in a volatility trend ahead of schedule. However, the opposite was observed in the thawing rate of the frozen soil;2) The rate of the soil’s freezing under the mosses of the spruce forest at an altitude of 3028 m was found to be the lowest. However, in the sub-alpine scrub forest at an altitude of 3300 m, a maximum in the spatial ordering was observed, with an average of 1.9 cm·d-1. The thawing rate of the frozen soil in scrub-spruce forest at an altitude of 3300 m was found to be minimal. However, in the sunny slope grassland at an altitude of 2946 m, a maximum in the spatial ordering was observed, with an average of 1.5 cm·d-1. In the spatial ordering of the variation degree of the process of freezing-thawing with an average of 1.2, the scrub-grassland at an altitude of 2518 m was found to be the lowest, and the scrub-spruce forest at an altitude of 3195 m was also low;3) The soil freezing began on approximately October 20th, and the rate of soil freezing gradually became reduced. The arrival time of the frozen soil of up to 150 cm in depth in sub-alpine scrub forest was first observed at an altitude of 3028 m. However, the scrub-spruce forest at an altitude of 3100 m did not become frozen until approximately January 12th on average. Then, the thawing rate of the frozen soil increased gradually. The end time of the thawing was earliest observed in the sunny slope grassland at an altitude of 2946 m. However, the scrub-spruce forest at an altitude of 3100 m was found to be the last to thaw, and averaged approximately July 27th. The average durations of the freezing and thawing of the soil were 77 and 121 days, respectively, and the average duration of the entire process of freezing-thawing was 199 days;4) This study’s established regression models of the duration time of frozen soil’s thaw, and the rate of frozen soil’s thaw, all passed the R test of goodness of fit, F test of variance, and t test. Conclusions: The characteristics of the seasonal freezing-thawing process of the soil with the spatial changes were seasonal. However, the characteristics under the different spatial factor influences were not the same.

Effects of freezing-thawing on the engineering performance of core wall soil materials of a dam in the process of construction

The construction of water conservancy projects in cold regions experiences freezing-thawing cycles,which can greatly change the engineering properties of soil and have a significant impact on the construction of projects.Lianghekou Hydropower Station(LHS),is a controlling station with the largest installed capacity among the 7 middle reach projects in the Yalong River,the secondary tributary of the Yangtze River.LHS is located in a seasonally frozen soil area.Based on the measured data of air and ground temperature in winter in the dam core wall,the freezing-thawing variation of gravelly soil and contact clay during the filling process of the core wall are compared and analyzed,then the main impact factors of the freezing-thawing variation of soils are discussed.The results show that under the influence of air temperature,soil freezes unidirectionally from ground surface downward and deepens gradually,and the thawing processes are different at the aspects of thawing direction and rate.Air temperature and physical properties of soil including soil type,moisture content and dry density affect the freezingthawing processes of soils.And the impact of engineering construction is more remarkable than natural factors.The engineering construction affects soil temperature and freezing-thawing process by controlling the initial temperature of soil,the speed and duration of the technological conversion of paving,compaction,and the length of placed duration at night.Due to the long placed duration of soil with the slow construction method,the initial temperature of soil gradually reduces,the heat transfer process inside soil is fast.Then the internal heat of soil releases,the decreasing rate of ground temperature of soil at different depths is fast and the frozen depth deepens.While due to the short placed duration of soil with the rapid construction process,the initial temperature of soil is high,high internal heat of soil is supplied every day,and the heat transfer process inside soil is slow.Then the decreasing rate of temperature of soil at different depths is slow,and the variation amplitude of frozen depth is small.This study provides useful guidance for the freezingthawing prevention during the construction process of core wall dams located at high altitude region in winter.

Effect of Freezing-Thawing Process on Wetland Soil Iron

The iron concentrations of snows,semi-melting snows,snowmelts,and ditch waters were observed in four typical microhabitats,Carex lasiocarpa marsh(Ⅰ), Calamagrostis angustifolia wet meadow(Ⅱ),dry land (Ⅲ)and paddy field(Ⅳ),of Sanjiang Plain Wetland, Northeast China.Each sample was collected from three sites of one microhabitat,mixed together, filtrated with 0.45μm membrane,and tested using atomic absorption spectrometry(AAS)for iron measurement.The iron concentrations of soil solutions were investigated as well.Each soil solution was in-situ extracted by negative pressure,filtrated with 0.45μm membrane,and tested using AAS,too. The results showed that the wet precipitation of iron from snow were little to detect.The loss of iron was attributed to the interaction of water and soil surface. The iron concentrations of snowmelts were 7.4,15,

In-situ experiment investigations of hydrothermal process of highway in deep seasonal frozen soil regions of Inner Mongolia, China

To reveal the influencing factors and changing rules for the hydrothermal interaction process of highway subgrade, the field measurements of Shiwei-Labudalin Highway in Inner Mongolia, China was conducted for 3 years, based on which the freezing-thawing rules and water content changing characteristics were analyzed. The main results show the subgrade presents a frequent freezing-thawing alternation, and the water content of subgrade exhibits an obvious seasonal alternation. The subbase has the maximum water content, while the base has the minimum water content. The change of water flux is concentrated in the thawing period and consistent with the change of temperature gradient. The subbase layer has the most active water flux due to the heat absorption and impermeability of pavement that easily causes the water accumulation in this layer. Therefore, the prevention and treatment for the freezing-thawing disease should be started from heat insulation and water resistance.

Shear strength of frozen clay under freezing-thawing cycles using triaxial tests

Using a new low-temperature dynamic triaxial apparatus, the influence law of freezing-thawing cycles on clay shear strength is studied. In this research, the concept of correction coefficients of freezing-thawing cycles on clay static strength, cohesion and internal friction angles is proposed, and the change patterns, correction curves and regressive formulae of clay static strength, cohesion and internal friction angles under freezing-thawing cycles are given. The test results indicate that with increasing numbers of freezing-thawing cycles, the clay static strength and cohesion decrease exponentially but the internal friction angle increases exponentially. The performance of static strength, cohesion and internal friction angles are different with increasing numbers of freezing-thawing cycles, i.e., the static strength decreases constantly until about 30% of the initial static strength prior to the freezing-thawing cycling and then stays basically stable. After 5-7 freezing-thawing cycles, the cohesion decreases gradually to about 70% of the initial cohesion. The internal friction angle increases about 20% after the first freezing-thawing cycle, then increases gradually close to a stable value which is an increase of about 40% of the internal friction angle. The freezing-thawing process can increase the variation of the density of the soil samples; therefore, strict density discreteness standards of frozen soil sample preparation should be established to ensure the reliability of the test results.

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.

Methodological Framework for a Multi-Scale Study on Hydrological Processes and Soil Erosion in Subtropical Southeast China

This paper introduces and illustrates the concepts of geoecological process combinations and geographical or landscape dimensions by outlining the methodology of a Sino-German cooperative project in Southeast China and presents the first results of the modelling process for the catchment scale. The project equipped a catchment in subtropical Southeast China from plot scale to catchment scale in order to study the hydrological and soll erosion processes. Distinct spatial differences in principal water and soil material fluxes were quantified. Deep drainage peaks occurred in May, June and July and even in August and November. Measurements in erosion plots as well as sedimentary deposits revealed that there was soil erosion connected with overland flow. Consistent with the results from the regular catenary variations of soil colors, textural stratification and hydrograph analysis, there was also a clear indication of interflow from measured soil moisture data. The experimental set up has the potential to further deepen the understanding of small-scale processes involved in lateral water fluxes and soil erosion. The expected results and interpretations will lead to a further integration of the collected data. In the future, to understand matter transfer in and between landscape ecological units, agricultural influence on nutrient status and flux data will be incorporated.

Study of Spatial and Temporal Processes of Soil Erosion on Sloping Land Using Rare Earth Elements As Tracers

Rare earth elements (REE) were used to study the temporal and spatial processes of soil erosion from different depths and sections of a slope. Two simulated rainfall events were applied to a prepared plot with a slope of 22°. The total runoff and sediment yield were collected every minute during the rainfall events. During the first twenty minutes of the first rainfall event, the average rate of rill erosion and the accumulated sediment yield due to rill erosion was 0.5 and 0.3 times higher than for sheet erosion. During this time, most of the erosion occurred on the lower one third of the plot. After 20 min, rill erosion became the dominant process on the slope. The average acceleration in the rate of rill erosion, the rate of rill erosion and the accumulated sediment yield due to rill erosion were 42, 6 and 4 times higher than that of sheet erosion, respectively. During the first 35 minutes of the second rainfall event, the average acceleration in the rate of rill erosion was 6～9 times higher than that of sheet erosion. Afterwards, the slope became nearly stable with little change in either rill or sheet erosion rates. Initially, most of the rill erosion occurred in the lower third of the slope but later the preexisting rillhead in the middle section of the slope became reactivated and erosion in this section of the slope increased rapidly. These results indicate that REE tracer technology is a valuable tool for quantifying spatial and temporal changes in erosion from a soil slope.

Preliminary Study on Element Leaching and Current Soil-Forming Process of Red Soils

The leaching characteristics and the element concentration in soil solution of red soils derived from sandstone,granite,Quaternary red clay and basalt have been studied in the Red Earth Ecological Experimental Station,Academia Sinica,using 12 lysimeters.Results obtained show that the element leaching process of red soils occurs mainly from January to the beginning of July annually.The elements with higher concentration in leaching solution of red soils are Si,Ca,Na,K,Mg,and N.The desilication and the leaching process of base cations occur simultaneously in the red soils.Using the first order differential equation and measured parameters of Si leaching,the leaching models of Si for red soils derived from different parent materials are constructed.The leaching process of Si is simulated with the models.Both the absolute and relative ages of red soils derived from different parent materials are discussed based on the simulation result.On the basis of element leaching,composition of soil solution and thermodynamics,the current soil-forming process is discussed.According to the phase diagram,the kaolinization is prevailing in the current formation of different red soils.

Spatial heterogeneity of soil water content in the reversion process of desertification in arid areas

Sandy soils in arid,rain-fed environments have low and limited water content,which is a principal factor limiting vegetation development,and a key constraint controlling the structure and functions of the ecological systems in arid areas.The spatial heterogeneity of soil water content is a major soil property,and a focus of soil science and hydrology.On the southern edge of the Tengger Desert,sample plots were selected from mobile sand dunes in desertified lands that had been enclosed for 5,15 and 25 years,respectively.This study explored the dynamic and spatial heterogeneity of soil water content in these different layers of soil that were also in the reversion process of desertification.The results showed that the soil water content of the mobile sand dunes was highest when in the initial stages of the reversion process of desertification,while the soil water content in the 0-20 cm,20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers of soil was 1.769%,3.011%,and 2.967% respectively,presenting a restoring tendency after 25 years of enclosure.There were significant differences,as a whole,in the soil water content among different restoration stages and different soil layers,respectively.Changes in soil water content,in different soil layers,at different restoration stages,exhibited exponential or spherical patterns.The spatial distribution of soil water content exhibited a mosaic patch pattern with obvious spatial heterogeneity.The ratio of the heterogeneity of spatial autocorrelation to gross spatial heterogeneity was greater than 50%.The gross spatial heterogeneity of the 0-20 cm layer of soil improved gradually,while those of the 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm layers improved initially,then weakened in the reversion process of desertification.This study revealed that restoration with sand-binding vegetation reduced soil water content,and increased its spatial heterogeneity in arid areas.However,after 25 years of vegetation-soil system restoration,the soil water content started to increase and its spatial heterogeneity started to weaken.These results will further benefit the understanding of the ecological mechanism between soil water and sand-binding vegetation.

IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF LAND USE ON PROCESSES OF SOIL AND WATER LOSS OVER PURPLE SOIL SLOPELAND

Based on natural precipitation observations, impacts of different types of land use on processes of soil and water loss over purple soil related slopeland were studied by simulated rainfall experiments. Measurement data revealed that rainstorms and slope length are the essential factors accountable for soil and water loss on purple soil slopeland for intense rill erosion can be caused on 10 meter long purple soil slopes by high intensity rainfall. Under circumanstances of rainstorms, annual hedge plants grown on slopeland of 25 degrees can cause a reduction of runoff by 22 43 percent and that of erosion induced sand content by 94 98 percent. Stone bund horizontal terraces can lead to a runoff reduction by 62 67 percent in comparison with steep slopelands and that of erosion induced sediment by 97.8 99 percent. Soil and water loss can be substantially decreased on steep slopes by hedge plants with a cost of only 10 20 percent that of the stone bund horizontal terraces. Hence it is an effective way to control soil and water loss in terms of slopeland amelioration and utilization in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Effects of biodegradable mulch on soil water and heat conditions,yield and quality of processing tomatoes by drip irrigation

To combat the problem of residual film pollution and ensure the sustainable development of agriculture in oasis areas,a field experiment was carried out in 2019 at the Wuyi Farm Corps Irrigation Center Test Station in Urumqi,Northwest China.Four types of biodegradable mulches,traditional plastic mulchs and a control group(bare land;referred to as CK)were compared,including a total of six different treatments.Effects of mulching on soil water and heat conditions as well as the yield and quality of processing tomatoes under drip irrigation were examined.In addition,a comparative analysis of economic benefits of biodegradable mulches was performed.Principal component analysis and gray correlation analysis were used to evaluate suitable mulching varieties for planting processing tomatoes under drip irrigation.Our results show that,compared with CK,biodegradable mulches and traditional plastic mulch have a similar effect on retaining soil moisture at the seedling stage but significantly increase soil moisture by 0.5%-1.5%and 1.5%-3.0%in the middle and late growth periods(P<0.050),respectively.The difference in the thermal insulation effect between biodegradable mulch and plastic mulch gradually reduces as the crop grows.Compared with plastic mulch,the average soil temperature at 5-20 cm depth under biodegradable mulches is significantly lowered by 2.04°C-3.52°C and 0.52°C-0.88°C(P<0.050)at the seedling stage and the full growth period,respectively,and the water use efficiency,average fruit yield,and production-investment ratio under biodegradable mulches were reduced by 0.89%-6.63%,3.39%-8.69%,and 0.51%-6.33%(P<0.050),respectively.The comprehensive evaluation analysis suggests that the black oxidized biological double-degradation ecological mulch made from eco-benign plastic is the optimal film type under the study condition.Therefore,from the perspective of sustainable development,biodegradable mulch is a competitive alternative to plastic mulch for large-scale tomato production under drip irrigation in the oasis.

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.

Soils of Fildes Peninsula,King George Island,the maritime Antarctic:Part^->.Formation processesand pedogenetic particu-larities

Based on the data obtained from tens of the investigated soil profiles scattered over the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, the maritime Antarctic, the soil forming processes were discussed. It was concluded that on the weathering crusts resulted from various physical courses, the strong freeze thaw action within regolith, significant organic matter accumulation, evident leaching and illuviation, as well as initial argillification dominated the formation and development of the soils on the Fildes Peninsula. Furthermore, this study indicated that the juvenility of genesis, poor profile expression, variation in column thickness, etc. characterized the pedogenetic features of the soils of the Fildes Peninsula.

Study on the mechanism of isotope fractionation in soil water during the evaporation process under equilibrium condition

In this study, with the method of vacuum extraction, two evaporative processes of soil water and free water under equilibrium condition were simulated. For each sample,water vapor was condensed by liquid nitrogen and was collected in four time intervals. From the analysis of hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of the water collected at different times, it was discovered that the isotope fractionation of soil water also follows the mode, which is just the same as the evaporative process of free water. The relationship between the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in residual water showed that the simulative evaporation line was close to the global meteoric water line (GMWL) under the equilibrium condition at about 20℃. Comparison of the two types of evaporative processes indicated that the isotope fractionation and evaporation velocity of soil water were only slightly modified by the Van der Waals force.

Removal of cadmium from cadmium-contaminated red soils using electrokinetic soil processing

To investigate the feasibility of electrokinetic soil processing on the removal of Cd from Cd-contaminated red soils, a laboratory experiment was conducted. A constant direct current density of 0.5mA/cm^2 was applied. The result shows that the Cd-removal efficiency is remarkably pH-dependent, which is caused by the change of Cd retention capacity of the red soils under different pH conditions. The initial Cd concentration is 1.490g/kg and over 79% of it is removed from the red soils after treatment for 96h. The energy expenditure per unit volume at the end of experiment is about 77.6kW·h/m^3 and the capital consumed by the whole experiment is 42.6RMB Yuan/m^3, which suggests that the electrokinetic soil processing is a promising technology for remedying Cd-contaminated red soils due to its high removal efficiency and low energy consumption.

Using a Modified Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Scheme(MSPAS)to Simulate the Interaction between Land Surface Processes and Atmospheric Boundary Layer in Semi-Arid Regions

This paper uses a Modified Soil-Plant-Atmosphere Scheme (MSPAS) to study the interaction between land surface and atmospheric boundary layer processes. The scheme is composed of two main parts: atmospheric boundary layer processes and land surface processes. Compared with SiB and BATS, which are famous for their detailed parameterizations of physical variables, this simplified model is more convenient and saves much more computation time. Though simple, the feasibility of the model is well proved in this paper. The numerical simulation results from MSPAS show good agreement with reality. The scheme is used to obtain reasonable simulations for diurnal variations of heat balance, potential temperature of boundary layer, and wind field, and spatial distributions of temperature, specific humidity, vertical velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, and turbulence exchange coefficient over desert and oasis. In addition, MSPAS is used to simulate the interaction between desert and oasis at night, and again it obtains reasonable results. This indicates that MSPAS can be used to study the interaction between land surface processes and the atmospheric boundary layer over various underlying surfaces and can be extended for regional climate and numerical weather prediction study.

Application of Random Process in Soil Profile Modeling

When using the random process in soil profile modeling, the stationary and ergodicity of the soil properties in the profile must be tested. This paper describes a procedure for stationary and ergodicity testing. Numerical examples were given for demonstration. A log-cosine function is suggested to simulate the correlation function, which has been proved to be good for soil profile modeling.