Freezing and thawing of soils and permafrost containing unfrozen water or brine

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Abstract
An analytical solution is presented for freezing and thawing of soils and permafrost containing unfrozen water or brine and with temperature dependent thermal properties. Latent heat effects are incorporated into an apparent heat capacity. The partially frozen soil is divided into layers, each with constant thermal properties and with fixed temperatures at the layer boundaries which move with time in a multiple moving boundary problem. Solutions are obtained for the positions of the layer boundaries and for the temperature distribution within each layer. The theory is used to predict the maximum depth of ice penetration and the temperature profile in a large artificial island. Maximum ice penetration in the island is greater than that determined from the two‐layer Neumann solution. Predicted temperature profiles are relatively smooth and do not exhibit a sharp break at the phase boundary. The solution procedure is also applicable to other heat conduction problems in permafrost containing unfrozen water or brine.