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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #117858
Title: EFFECTS 0F FREEZE/THAW CONDITIONS ON SOIL STRENGTH

Author
item WU, JOAN - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item PLACE, MAYA - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item McCool, Donald
item CUHACIYAN, CHRISTOPHER - WASHINTON STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Studies have shown that most water erosion in the northwestern US is related to rain or snowmelt when the soil is frozen or thawing. Yet the effect of freezing and thawing on soil detachment and transport remains one of the least understood aspects of the physical erosion process. With a one-year grant from the U.S. Geological Survey/State of Washington Water Research Center, a study was started to(1) determine the mechanisms by which soil freezing and thawing affect runoff and erosion through laboratory experiments and (2) formulate the mechanisms for incorporation into erosion prediction models. The study is divided into three phases: experimental design and set up ; experimentation and analysis of results; and incorporation of the experimental results into an erosion model. This paper describes the major methods and preliminary results from the first phase of the study.

Technical Abstract: Past studies have shown that most water erosion in the Northwestern Wheat and Range Region (NWRR) is related to rain on frozen or thawing soils. Yet the effect of freezing and thawing on soil detachment and transport remains one of the least understood aspects of the physical erosion process. With a one-year grant from the U.S. Geological Survey/State of Washington Water Research Center, a comprehensive study was initiated to(1) elucidate the mechanisms by which soil freezing and thawing affect runoff and erosion through laboratory experimentation and (2) mathematically formulate the mechanisms for potential incorporation into erosion prediction models. The entire study is divided into three phases: experimental design and set up ; experimentation and results analysis; and incorporation of the experimental results into a process-based erosion model. This paper describes the major methods and preliminary results from the first phase of the study.