FACTORS AFFECTING WATER MIGRATION IN FROZEN SOILS

Soil-water potential was measured on three soils and influencing factors, including water content, soil texture, dry density and temperature, were investigated. The soil-water potential in unsaturated, unfrozen soils decreases with decreasing soil water content and soil disperson, and increases with increasing temperature and dry density. Unfrozen water contents were determined by pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance and three factors thought to affect the unfrozen water content at a given temperature were investigated. Of these three factors, only increasing the salt concentration caused a large change in the unfrozen water versus temperature curves. Water migration in an unsaturated frozen soil (Morin clay) was determined in horizontally closed soil columns under linear temperature gradients. The flux of water migration was calculated from the water distribution curves before and after testing. The flux is directly proportional to the temperature gradient and inversely proportional to the square root of the test duration, and decreases with decreasing temperature and soil dry density.

• Corporate Authors:

  U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

  72 Lyme Road
  Hanover, NH  United States  03755-1290
• Authors:
  • Xiaozu, Xu
  • Oliphant, J L
  • Tice, A R
• Publication Date: 1987-7

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 25 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concentration (Chemistry); Dry density; Frozen soils; Moisture content; Pore water; Seepage; Sodium chloride; Sodium chloride; Soil water; Soils; Temperature
• Uncontrolled Terms: Concentration
• Old TRIS Terms: Dry density (Soils); Migration, pore water; Soil temperature
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I42: Soil Mechanics;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00474727
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CRRREL-R-87-9
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 31 1987 12:00AM