IMPACT OF SNOW COVER AND AIR TEMPERATURE ON GROUND FREEZING DEPTH AND STABILITY IN MOUNTAIN AREA

Abstract

During the construction of debris flow and snow avalanche protecting installation in the mountain regions the problem of fixation and stability of these constructions under the conditions of seasonally or permanently frozen ground arise. For this reason ground freezing depth estimation for winter periods 2015/16-2019/20 was performed on the basis of developed calculating scheme for Elbrus region. The calculating scheme for ground freezing is constructed on the basis of three layer media heat conductivity problem (snow cover, frozen and thawed ground) with phase transition on the boundary of frozen and unfrozen ground. Heat balance equation includes phase transition energy, inflow of heat from unfrozen ground and outflow to frozen ground, snow cover and atmosphere. The heat flux is calculated on basis of Fourier law as a product of heat conductivity and temperature gradient. It is supposed, that temperature changes in each media linearly.