Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-179-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-179-2021
Original research article
 | 
11 Jun 2021
Original research article |  | 11 Jun 2021

Impact of freeze–thaw cycles on soil structure and soil hydraulic properties

Frederic Leuther and Steffen Schlüter

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Cited articles

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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.