Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-179-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-179-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Original research article
| 
11 Jun 2021
Original research article |
| 11 Jun 2021
| 11 Jun 2021
Impact of freeze–thaw cycles on soil structure and soil hydraulic properties
Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ GmbH, Halle 06120, Germany
Steffen Schlüter
Department of Soil System Science, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ GmbH, Halle 06120, Germany
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Short summary
Freezing and thawing cycles are an important agent of soil structural transformation during the winter season in the mid-latitudes. This study shows that it promotes a well-connected pore system, fragments dense soil clods, and, hence, increases the unsaturated conductivity by a factor of 3. The results are important for predicting the structure formation and hydraulic properties of soils, with the prospect of milder winters due to climate change, and for farmers preparing the seedbed in spring.
Freezing and thawing cycles are an important agent of soil structural transformation during the...
