Ice formation in unsaturated frozen soils

This paper presents a procedure for determining unfrozen water saturation in a partially saturated frozen soil (clayey silt) using bulk electrical conductivity (EC) measurements. A modification of Archie’s law is proposed to describe the relationship between soil bulk EC, temperature, porosity and degree of unfrozen water saturation. Compacted samples have been prepared at a dry density around 1.90 Mg/m3 and at dif-ferent degrees of saturation. Samples have been then subjected to freezing paths up to -15 °C. Measurements of bulk EC along the temperature decrease and freezing paths have been used to calibrate parameters associ-ated with the proposed model. These calibrated models allow determining the amount of ice content for a given state of the partially saturated soil (porosity, initial degree of water saturation and temperature). The soil freezing retention curve has been also estimated by combining the Clausius-Clapeyron equation with water retention data on drying. A good agreement has been observed between the estimation based on EC measurements and results from water retention data, which validates the proposed procedure.Postprint (published version

Effect of curing conditions and harvesting stage of maturity on Ethiopian onion bulb drying properties

The study was conducted to investigate the impact of curing conditions and harvesting stageson the drying quality of onion bulbs. The onion bulbs (Bombay Red cultivar) were harvested at three harvesting stages (early, optimum, and late maturity) and cured at three different temperatures (30, 40 and 50 oC) and relative humidity (30, 50 and 70%). The results revealed that curing temperature, RH, and maturity stage had significant effects on all measuredattributesexcept total soluble solids

Enhanced grain surface effect on magnetic properties of nanometric La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 manganite : Evidence of surface spin freezing of manganite nanoparticles

We have investigated the effect of nanometric grain size on magnetic properties of single phase, nanocrystalline, granular La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) sample. We have considered core-shell structure of our LCMO nanoparticles, which can explain its magnetic properties. From the temperature dependence of field cooled (FC) and zero-field cooled (ZFC) dc magnetization (DCM), the magnetic properties could be distinguished into two regimes: a relatively high temperature regime T > 40 K where the broad maximum of ZFC curve (at T = Tmax) is associated with the blocking of core particle moments, whereas the sharp maximum (at T = TS) is related to the freezing of surface (shell) spins. The unusual shape of M (H) loop at T = 1.5 K, temperature dependent feature of coercive field and remanent magnetization give a strong support of surface spin freezing that are occurring at lower temperature regime (T < 40 K) in this LCMO nanoparticles. Additionally, waiting time (tw) dependence of ZFC relaxation measurements at T = 50 K show weak dependence of relaxation rate [S(t)] on tw and dM/dln(t) following a logarithmic variation on time. Both of these features strongly support the high temperature regime to be associated with the blocking of core moments. At T = 20 K, ZFC relaxation measurements indicates the existence of two different types of relaxation processes in the sample with S(t) attaining a maximum at the elapsed time very close to the wait time tw = 1000 sec, which is an unequivocal sign of glassy behavior. This age-dependent effect convincingly establish the surface spin freezing of our LCMO nanoparticles associated with a background of superparamagnetic (SPM) phase of core moments.Comment: 41 pages, 10 figure

The performance of polyurethane grout to stabilise hemic peat

Peat has always considered as a challenging ground for any form of construction due to its engineering characteristics such as high short-term settlement, prolonged long�term post construction settlement and high natural moisture content exceedingly more than 100%. Numerous construction materials and methods have been developed in recent years for sustainable construction on peat. The polyurethane (PU) grouting as an option is similar to the cement base grouting application widely used for ground improvement. However, the PU grouting is a strong lightweight material with very short curing time. The Parit Nipah hemic peat has high natural moisture content (> 500%) with high initial void ratio (6.72-10.11) and compression index, cc between 3.17 to 4.57. Optimum mixing ratio for PU of 1:2 (polyol:isocyanate) was established to be used for PU grouting based on its compressive strength (>200 kPa) and curing time (<7 minutes). Numerical analysis was conducted by using PLAXIS 3D Foundation software to determine the boundary for laboratory and field models, as well to determine the grouting depth for PU. The depth of grouting for laboratory scale models were determined at 100 mm and 200 mm, while for the field scale models was at 1 m and 2 m deep. The settlement for natural and treated peat under embankment constructed in stages were monitored. The results of laboratory physical scale models and field models displayed similar settlement pattern. The PU grouted peat showed improvement in term of ground settlement compared to natural peat. PU grouting managed to reduce the settlement of peat up to 30% compared to natural peat. For the PU grouted peat, the increment in term of depth of grouting displayed better settlement improvement. Results showed that PU grouting has good potential to reduce the settlement of hemic peat

Winter soil respiration in a humid temperate forest: The roles of moisture, temperature, and snowpack

Winter soil respiration at midlatitudes can comprise a substantial portion of annual ecosystem carbon loss. However, winter soil carbon dynamics in these areas, which are often characterized by shallow snow cover, are poorly understood due to infrequent sampling at the soil surface. Our objectives were to continuously measure winter CO2 flux from soils and the overlying snowpack while also monitoring drivers of winter soil respiration in a humid temperate forest. We show that the relative roles of soil temperature and moisture in driving winter CO2 flux differed within a single soil-to-snow profile. Surface soil temperatures had a strong, positive influence on CO2 flux from the snowpack, while soil moisture exerted a negative control on soil CO2 flux within the soil profile. Rapid fluctuations in snow depth throughout the winter likely created the dynamic soil temperature and moisture conditions that drove divergent patterns in soil respiration at different depths. Such dynamic conditions differ from many previous studies of winter soil microclimate and respiration, where soil temperature and moisture are relatively stable until snowmelt. The differential response of soil respiration to temperature and moisture across depths was also a unique finding as previous work has not simultaneously quantified CO2 flux from soils and the snowpack. The complex interplay we observed among snow depth, soil temperature, soil moisture, and CO2 flux suggests that winter soil respiration in areas with shallow seasonal snow cover is more variable than previously understood and may fluctuate considerably in the future given winter climate change

The habitability of super-Earths in Gliese 581

Aims: The planetary system around the M star Gliese 581 consists of a hot Neptune (Gl 581b) and two super-Earths (Gl 581c and Gl 581d). The habitability of this system with respect to the super-Earths is investigated following a concept that studies the long-term possibility of photosynthetic biomass production on a dynamically active planet. Methods: A thermal evolution model for a super-Earth is used to calculate the sources and sinks of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The habitable zone is determined by the limits of biological productivity on the planetary surface. Models with different ratios of land / ocean coverage are investigated. Results: The super-Earth Gl 581c is clearly outside the habitable zone, since it is too close to the star. In contrast, Gl 581d is a tidally locked habitable super-Earth near the outer edge of the habitable zone. Despite the adverse conditions on this planet, at least some primitive forms of life may be able to exist on its surface.Therefore, Gl 581d is an interesting target for the planned TPF/Darwin missions to search for biomarkers in planetary atmospheres.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Experimental And Numerical Study Of Sonic Wave Propagation In Freezing Sand And Silt

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2009A numerical model for delineating the temperature-velocity relationship of freezing porous media and soil is developed in Matlab based on Leclaire's Biot-type three-phase theory. Leclaire's theory gives lower sonic velocities than the experimental results because it does not take into consideration the effect of the solid-ice frame when water is freezing. To take the solid-ice effective frame into account, the average bulk and shear moduli estimation are modified with a proposed procedure. The modification gives higher P-wave and S-wave velocities that fit experimental data well. A comprehensive suite of physical and acoustic laboratory experiments are conducted on artificial sands, sand-clay mixtures and Fairbanks silts to investigate the temperature-velocity relationship during the freezing process and the effects of grain size and fine clay content. A Multi-channel ultrasonic scanning system (MUSS) is designed, installed and programmed for the experimental computerized ultrasonic tomography (CUST) study. The inward and outward freezing process and freezing front development in Fairbanks silt samples are observed using computerized ultrasonic tomography (CUST) in the laboratory. The experiments generate sonic wave velocity and temperature distribution during the freezing process. The freezing front is clearly identified in the CUST as a function of time and temperature. Comprehensive numerical finite element method (FEM) simulations, which account for the conduction in porous media, the latent heat effect and the nonlinear thermal properties of soil, are performed on the inward and outward freezing process of Fairbanks silt based on the experimental conditions. In conjunction with the temperature-velocity model developed in the study, sonic wave velocity tomograms are generated. The results are comparable with those obtained by CUST. The study indicates that CUST is an effective method for studying freezing processes and has potential for indirect measurement of unfrozen water content variations in the soil without interfering with the freezing process