Shelton RossThus, it is no wonder that there are changes in the natural environment during winter as it is winter. One change that can be noted is the ‘freezing’ or hardening of the ground. This is surprisingly a mystery to many people, especially those who have no scientific basis for it. Why is it that a space that is too soft and flexible turns into a very solid and incompressible mass? It is at this point that we have to look at the science of freezing, the behavior of water containing soils, and how cold weather will affect various types of soils.
We shall further explain why the ground is said to be hard due to coldness including the ways in which such behavior is manifested within the ground and what factors such as temperature, moisture, and soil structure would affect an individual in a cold environment. Knowing such processes is of an importance not only in explaining the common and innocuous features of winter, but in avoiding the negative impacts on agriculture, building activity, or outdoor facilities usage during winter months.
How Water Affects the Soil Hardening Process
One of the explanations why the earth gets hardened especially in cold weather is the presence of water in the soil. It is a fact that even though a certain type of soil looks dry, there is water in it. This moisture is found in the spaces between soil particles and is necessary for plants and the environment.
In most cases, when it is very cold, the ground contains frozen water. Even as temperatures approach freezing point and normally water which is in liquid form changes to a solid termed ice. Frozen water expands by about 9% more than when in liquid form. This leads to the accumulation of soil and increased hardness of the ground surface.
The frozen water compresses the soil particles much more closely together; thus, there is little or no movement in the soil. It is this very property that is responsible for the hard and compact feeling of the earth. The process of freezing is seen as turning the moist wet earth into a piece of art that cannot be conquered by roots, animals, or humans who want to dig into the ground.
Effects of Freezing on Different Kinds of Soil
All soil doesn’t behave the same when it is subjected to freezing temperatures. The types of these soils: sandy, clay or loamy are very important as far as the density of the ground in a frozen state is concerned. Here’s how the different types of soil behave when exposed to cold temperatures:
Clay Soil: Clay soil has very fine particles and as such it has a high water retention capacity. Because of this, clay soils usually contain more water and hence freeze better than the other soil types. In this case of clay, once most of the water is frozen, the soil liberates and hardens. The small particles of clay are densely packed hence the ground becomes firmer when frozen. In this regard, agricultural practices in the clay-laden zones may be say on season wise because winter poses a big challenge.
Sandy Soil: Whereas sandy soil is made of bigger particles and retains less water compared to clay. Although presence of water in sandy soils does make them more soft than normal when frozen, the adhesion is minimal at best. Because of the greater air spaces between sand grains, movement is even possible in ice sanded condition. But even in regions with sandy soil there is no doubt such a soil could be frozen, however such soil freezing is associated with high degree of water.
Loamy Soil: Loamy soil is a blend of sand, silt, and clay, wherein the properties of clay and sandy soil can be witnessed when the loamy composition undergoes freezing. While it can take a very stiff form under cold conditions, it generally does not get as hard as clay soil but is stiffer than property sandy soil. The positive void ratio of loamy soil helps in retaining moisture along with air and hence does not get too brittle; however, the degree of ice can still become a hindering factor in the activities of digging and planting Crops.
Frost Depth and the Ground Freezing Process
The frost depth or frost line is the level below the ground surface that experiences sub zero temperatures at which frost penetration occurs. This depth changes content with many variables including geographical scenery, temperature change and soil structure among others. In areas where temperatures are lower, the frost depth can go as deep as several feet, while in warmer areas the frost depth may be just a few inches below ground level.
The frost penetration is prevalent for some activities like agriculture and construction. In construction, frost depth is used in how deep foundations of buildings can be built because ought to be placed below the frost line to prevent damage by heaving or shifting when the soil freezes and thaws. Likewise, in agriculture, farmers need to know the frost depth before determining the season and method of planting crops on their farms.
At the beginning of the chilling process, ice forms only on the top surface. Over the course of the two environmental states free bottom surfaces are subject to this extremal heat transfer phenomenon: firstly, as previously mentioned, moisture is released upward by soil evaporation causing the uppermost soil layer moisture saturation considerably to reduce. If the temperatures become low for long durations, however, the process of freezing continues to progress downwards so that the lower layers of the soil are eventually affected. The greater the frost depth, the stronger the ground becomes due to more water in the soil turning to ice.
Thaw and Become Stiff again as Soil Returns to Normal
It is comparable to how the ground hardens due to freezing only to thaw when thawing that occurs due to any temperatures above freezing softens the ground once more. So, when temperatures are above twenty-five degrees for textural frost and soil warming dew point saturation is negative stone bulbs become bugs in the dew condensation and evaporate. Looseness of soil is attained through this process whereby soil regains its original characteristics and moisture content.
However, thawing is not always a gradual, regulated process. For instance, the frozen top layer of sediment may become unfrozen while deeper layers remain unchanged which creates “Mud over ice” phenomenon. This is when the top layer becomes damp and soft with mud, while the lower portion remains hard and frozen. This condition can complicate construction activities as the top layer of the earth may seem viable to work on but the layer beneath remains tough to excavate or manipulate.
The amount of ground thawing occurs at a particular rate due to some factors like exposure to sunlight, temperature of the area and the type of soil present. Areas that receive more sunlight or warm temperatures will be thawed more quickly while shady or very cool places will take register longer periods to thaw.
The Effect of Frozen Ground on Activities of People
The occurrence of ground frost has a number of implications for different people’s activities, in particular, and for construction, agriculture, and sport or recreation in the open air. Let’s find out what or how frozen ground affects these aspects:
Agriculture: In agriculture, frozen soil makes seeding and harvesting very difficult. In order to prevent unnecessary headache with dealing with frozen ground, farmers have to really consider the timing of the different planting seasons. Such freezing temperatures can also be disastrous on the crops and soil structure, especially when freezing takes place overnight or within a very short period of time. Further, even a little amount of water will not be able to be absorbed because of the frozen ground, and snowmelt will lead to run-offs that will cause soil erosion.
Construction: In construction, frozen ground makes the work of excavation and foundation placement rather challenging and complex. Soil is attached to frozen ground and it is not easy to dig or drill it therefore performing tasks that include laying pipeline or making a structure foundation is made to take more time than necessary and labour intensive. Even the excavation process has risks of ‘heaving’ where the soil moved during the excavation process will heat or cool contributing earthquakes to the edifice or any structure above it. Materials used in designing structures need to be incorporated with elements of frost depth and freezing cycles in order to preserve such structures from destruction by rampant weather.
Outdoor sports and recreation: Even though some outdoor sports and activities use frozen ground for support, there are dot activities that require the ground to be soft hence frozen ground is a waxing moon. All viable winter sports, which include ice skating, ski sports, snowmobile sports, etc. employ the benefit of the hardness of the frozen ground as it provides stable areas for the participants. But when it comes to maintaining a winter activity like hiking or trail running, ground frost poses a danger as people run the risk of slipping on hard surfaces which are icy. In other instances, certain trails are so frozen or compacted such that they are impossible to traverse.
Managing Frozen Ground: Tips and Considerations
Frozen ground is something that occurs naturally during winter months, although it also has an impact in whatever we do, there are ways one can minimize such impact in their day to day activities. Here are some tips for dealing with hard ground during winter:
Timing: Whether for agriculture, construction works or outdoor activities, the aspect of timing comes into play in all the situations. Therefore the weather forecasts and the soil conditions are very important especially in avoiding beginning projects or activities when the ground is likely to be frozen.
Preparation: In construction, there are instances when it is likely to be possible, digging before the ground freezes may be worthy of every one’s time. Similarly, farmers too can follow suit by covering the soil using cover crops or mulches to prevent the soil from becoming too cold too rapidly.
Adaptation: It is clear that one needs to explore possibilities to alter methods for coping with frozen ground. For Pilining in construction, it is advisable to use special tools targeted to the specific application. Also proper footwear decreases the chances of slipping in icy conditions.
Conclusion
The soil formation in cold regions during frosty seasons is a whodunit that is caused by the freezing of water in the ground. This change is witnessed in sands and clays among other soils and extends to wide range of human activities including farming, construction and even sports. Since it is known that cold dry weather causes the ground to become hard, reasons and effects should be studied so that winter becomes less of a test but rather, winter can be enjoyed due to the unique features of the snowfall.
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