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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #96431
Title: MONITORING SOIL FREEZE-THAW DYNAMICS IN TANK-COMPACTED AND UNCOMPACTED SOILAT YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, WASHINGTON

Author
item HALVORSON, J - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item KING, L - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item McCool, Donald
item GATTO, L - DOD
item NISSEN, P - DOD

Submitted to: Integrated Training Area Management Workshop
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Freeze-thaw cycles in soil help mitigate some of the effects of compaction by heavy military vehicles. However, we know little about the timing, depth or dynamics of soil freezing during the course of the winter. Such knowledge is an important component of ongoing studies that estimate changes in soil penetration resistance and water runoff characteristics of compacted and uncompacted soil at the Yakima Training Center. We monitore soil temperature and the details of freezing and thawing during winter 1997-1998 using probes that detect soil freezing by measuring changes in electrical resistivity. We observed slightly cooler temperatures in uncompacted than in compacted soil at 5 and 10 cm depth and greater differences at 20 and 30 cm depth. The timing of freezing and thawing was similar in both compacted and uncompacted soil near the surface with evidence of frequent cycling between partially thawed and frozen states. At greater depths, freezing either did not occur in compacted soil or occurred later than in uncompacted soil with less frequent cycling between partially thawed and frozen states. No freezing occurred at 50 cm depth.