The influence of snow cover on ground freeze-thaw frequency, intensity, and duration: An experimental study conducted in coastal northern Sweden

• Published in: Norsk geografisk tidsskrift 2016-03, Vol.70 (2), p.82-94
• Main Authors: Sarady, Maria, Sahlin, Eva A.U.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catriona Turner; freeze-thaw; Ivar Berthling; Meteorology; seasonally frozen ground; Snow; snow-cover; soil temperature; Soils; subarctic Sweden
• ISSN: 0029-1951; 1502-5292; 1502-5292
• DOI: 10.1080/00291951.2016.1154102

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.