The influence of snow cover on ground freeze-thaw frequency,intensity, and duration: An experimental study conducted in coastal northern Sweden |
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| Authors: | Maria Sarady Eva AU Sahlin |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Social and Economic Geography, Uppsala University, Karlsborgsv?gen 40, SE-952 71 Karlsborgsverken, Swedenmaria.sarady@outlook.com;3. Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, University of G?vle, Kungsb?cksv?gen 47, SE-801 76 G?vle, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | The impact of snow cover on seasonal ground frost and freeze-thaw processes is not yet fully understood. The authors therefore examined how snow cover affects seasonal ground frost in a coastal setting in northern Sweden. Air and soil temperatures were recorded in a paired-plot experiment, both with and without snow cover, during the frost season 2012–2013. The frequency, duration, and intensity of the freeze-thaw cycles during the frost season were calculated. The results showed that the freeze-thaw frequency was 57% higher at the soil surface and the intensity 10 °C colder in the spring of 2013, when the ground lacked snow cover. Furthermore, the duration of the seasonal freeze-thaw cycle was 30 days longer on average in cases where there was natural snow accumulation. The correlation between air and ground surface temperatures weakened with increased snow-cover depth. The authors conclude that continued increases in air temperature and decreases in snow in coastal northern Sweden might alter freeze-thaw cycles and thus affect natural and human systems such as geomorphology, ecology, spatial planning, transport, and forestry. |
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| Keywords: | Ivar Berthling Catriona Turner |
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