ANALYSIS OF MEASUREMENT AND NUMERICAL SCHEMES TO ESTIMATE FROST AND THAW PENETRATION OF A SOIL

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Abstract
Frost penetration and soil temperature may determine the winter survival of crops or populations of insects. In this study, several techniques for measuring frost and thaw penetration are compared to a simplified numerical heat flow model in order to assess the range of applicability of the measurement and modelling systems. Two Uplands sand sites, one snow cleared and one with a natural snow cover were instrumented with thermocouples, frost-tubes and time-domain reflectometry to record soil temperature and frost penetration. The numerical model was used to simulate soil temperature and frost using daily maximum and minimum air temperature and snowfall from the nearby weather site. All methods used to measure frost penetration were found to be adequate where large temperature gradients occurred. Temperature-based determinations of the frozen zone have a more limited range of applicability than systems which indicate changes in liquid water content of the soil. The diffusion-based heat flow model provided useful estimates of soil temperature and frost penetration. Key words: Frost penetration, soil temperature modelling, frozen/unfrozen interfaces