Research in Cold and Arid Regions最新文献

{"title":"Analysis of the influence of sudden significant temperature fluctuations on geotechnical masses and lining in cold-region tunnels","authors":"Jie Dong,&nbsp;XiaoXi Luo,&nbsp;Bo Wang,&nbsp;ZiXian Zeng,&nbsp;XiaoJuan Quan,&nbsp;YuWei Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To systematically investigate the short-term consequences of sudden temperature fluctuations and address the challenges of frost damage in extreme environments, this study examined tunnel entrances in the Northeast China. Laboratory freeze-thaw/freezing tests and multi-field coupling simulations were conducted to assess the response of tunnel linings and adjacent rock in cold regions. This study reveals, for the first time, the spatial and temporal migration pattern of 'low temperature at the foot of the arch–high temperature at the arch', providing a reference for the anti-freezing design of tunnels in cold regions. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) High water content and repeated freeze-thaw cycles significantly affect the soil's stress-strain curves, hardening them under increasing confining pressure while accelerating soil strength degradation. Before the freeze-thaw cycle, a 3% increase in water content reduces the modulus of elasticity by approximately 40%. After 10 freeze-thaw cycles, the modulus reduction escalates to 33%–63%, with soil specimens exhibiting the most significant degradation at the optimal water content. (2) During the freezing process, the soil's stress-strain curves exhibit softening features, with failure strength and cohesion increasing nonlinearly as temperature decreases. The internal friction angle reveals no clear pattern, and the failure mode tends toward brittleness. (3) A sudden temperature decrease results in the lowest temperature at the arch foot of the secondary lining, while the highest is at the primary support's vault. After a sudden temperature increase, the lowest temperature shifts to the primary support's arch foot, while the highest shifts to the secondary lining's vault. Temperature changes in the surrounding rock are most pronounced within 0.5 m outside the lining. (4) Sudden temperature fluctuations induce short-term irreversible vertical displacement at the ground surface, expansion of horizontal clearance after temperature decrease, and convergence after the temperature increase. The vault and invert undergo cyclical uplift and settlement due to freezing and thawing. A temperature decrease of 20 °C leads to the maximum freeze-heave stress. Stress distribution in the lining shows tensile stress at the sidewalls (473 kPa) and compressive stress at the arch foot (1,005 kPa). Both values are below the material's strength limits, indicating structural safety under freeze-heave stress alone.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 42-58"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on the deterioration mechanisms of basalt with fractures under freeze-thaw cycling","authors":"Kun He ,&nbsp;QingZhi Wang ,&nbsp;JianKun Liu ,&nbsp;DongMei Zhang ,&nbsp;ZhongKai Huang ,&nbsp;JianHong Fang ,&nbsp;DongLiang Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In cold region, freeze-thaw cycles induced by extreme temperature fluctuations represent a significant threat to the stability of tunnel surrounding rocks. Investigating this phenomenon is essential for ensuring tunnel safety. This study employs prefabricated fractured basalt and subjects it to multiple freeze-thaw cycles. The microstructural changes in rock pores were analyzed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology, while mechanical property alterations were determined through triaxial compression tests. A freeze-thaw damage model is developed to simulate and verify the findings. The results indicate that freeze-thaw cycles considerably decrease the triaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus of basalt, augmenting the number of cracks during the compression failure process. NMR technology demonstrates that freeze-thaw cycles facilitate the expansion and interconnection of pores, thereby enhancing rock porosity. Furthermore, the freeze-thaw damage model illustrates a significant nonlinear progression of basalt damage under various confining pressures and freeze-thaw cycles. The alignment of the research findings with experimental data confirms the accuracy and efficacy of the model.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 22-33"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution and changes of thermokarst lakes along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway from 1991 to 2022","authors":"JunCheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Jing Luo ,&nbsp;HuiYan Zhang ,&nbsp;JiYi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2024.10.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2024.10.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Permafrost degradation on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau has led to the rapid development of thermokarst lakes, but their distribution along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) has not been fully studied. In this study, we established the Landsat, Sentinel-2A and GF-1 image datasets and a 50 km wide transect along the QTR, and used ENVI software to extract lake data. The distribution characteristics of thermokarst lakes at different distances from the QTR in 2022 were analyzed. The spatiotemporal evolution of thermokarst lakes and their relationship with climatic factors from 1991 to 2022 were examined. The results showed that, from 1991 to 2022, the number and area of thermokarst lakes in the study area increased by about 3,892 and 70.08 km², respectively. It was found that climate warming and intensified precipitation are the main reasons for the increase in the number and area of thermokarst lakes in the study area. This study provides basic support for an in-depth understanding of the long-term interannual changes of the thermokarst lakes along the QTR and the maintenance of the QTR.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 34-41"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Migration laws of petroleum in silty clay under freeze-thaw action","authors":"Ming Lu ,&nbsp;Hu Zhang ,&nbsp;AnYuan Li ,&nbsp;Yang Hu ,&nbsp;ShanZhen Li ,&nbsp;HuiJun Jin ,&nbsp;Bo Zheng","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Petroleum extraction and transportation in cold regions often result in leakage accidents, which can cause severe environmental pollution. The prevalent freeze-thaw cycles in these areas significantly influence the migration and dispersion of petroleum. Therefore, understanding these processes is essential for effective environmental protection. The experimental results indicate that capillary action, liquid pressure, and particle adsorption primarily influence petroleum migration in the unfrozen zone. Under freeze-thaw cycles, proper temperature gradients facilitate petroleum migration from unfrozen to frozen zone, while extreme temperature gradients impede this migration. The migration processes of water and petroleum are interdependent and mutually restrictive. An increase in initial moisture content promotes petroleum migration. However, when the moisture content exceeds a certain threshold, a significant amount of pore water (or ice) occupies the pore space, which hinders petroleum migration. Additionally, as the number of freeze-thaw cycles increases, the capability of petroleum to migrate into the frozen zone significantly improves. These findings provide experimental methods and scientific evidence for further exploration of petroleum migration mechanisms in cold regions and the development of effective soil contamination remediation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experimental study on the frost jacking characteristics of bamboo joint conical piles in seasonally frozen regions","authors":"YaoHui Zhang ,&nbsp;HaiHong Yang ,&nbsp;TieCheng Sun ,&nbsp;Jiao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The variation in pile types can to some extent reduce frost jacking displacement of pile foundations in seasonal frost regions, yet further research is needed on the anti-jacking-up performance of different pile types under freeze-thaw cycles. This study conducted freeze-thaw cycle model tests under open-system conditions based on the proposed design concept of bamboo joint conical piles, analyzing variations in test fill temperature, moisture content, surface displacement, and pile-top displacement. The main findings are: (1) Pile type variation significantly affects pile foundation frost jacking, with bamboo joint conical piles demonstrating superior anti-jacking-up performance compared to straight piles and inferior performance to 9° conical piles. Moreover, the anti-jacking-up performance of bamboo joint conical piles follows a pattern of initial enhancement followed by attenuation with increasing cone angle, where a 7° cone angle provides optimal anti-jacking-up performance. (2) The moisture content of the soil fill increases with the number of freeze-thaw cycles in an open system environment, with the rate of increase decreasing over time, while the initial frozen core volume within the fill material tends to increase during the thawing phase. (3) The mechanisms underlying the frost heave and settlement of the fill surface and the frost jacking displacement at the pile top were clarified. The frost heave and settlement of the fill surface result from volume changes in the frozen soil due to the water-ice phase transition and the compaction effect on unfrozen soil. The thermal melting evolution of the frozen core in the fill material is the key factor determining the cumulative displacement at the pile top. (4) Differences in the thermophysical properties between the pile foundation and the fill material induce the migration of free water toward the vicinity of the pile, where the higher moisture content of the fill material is detrimental to the mitigation of frost jacking damage to the pile foundation. These findings provide a foundation for further elucidation of the frost jacking mechanism of bamboo joint conical piles in seasonally frozen regions under freeze-thaw cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 11-21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evapotranspiration inversion using a two-sources model coupling multiscale data fusion and interpolation methods","authors":"Shuo Lun ,&nbsp;TingXi Liu ,&nbsp;LiNa Hao ,&nbsp;LiMin Duan ,&nbsp;Xin Tong ,&nbsp;YongZhi Bao ,&nbsp;YiXuan Wang ,&nbsp;SiMin Zhang ,&nbsp;YiRan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Continuous monitoring of high spatiotemporal resolution evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for accurately assessing water resource management and irrigation efficiency at both global and regional scales. However, constraints such as satellite image transit time and cloud contamination can inhibit a single satellite to provide fine spatial resolution and continuous daily sequences of remote sensing data. In this study, we employed a coupled multi-scale fusion and interpolation method evapotranspiration model (CFIEM) framework integrated the remote sensing ET models, data fusion models, and the HANTS-GEE interpolation method to generate high-resolution surface feature parameters and hydrological variables. Landsat remote sensing parameters and MODIS-Landsat fusion data were adopted to simulate daily regional ET, and the simulated results were subsequently validated. The results revealed the strong consistency between the simulated CFIEM-ET and Landsat-ET values and measured data, with the <em>R</em>² values of 0.83 and 0.73. Among the simulations across the sand dunes, grasslands, rice, and maize ecosystems, maize exhibited the most accurate simulation (<em>R</em>² = 0.84), while the sand dunes demonstrated certain deviation (<em>R</em>² = 0.72). The geographical detector analysis identified the net radiation (<em>R</em>n) as the primary driver of multi-year ET variation, followed by the land surface temperature (LST) and leaf area index (LAI). This study sheds light on the interannual ET variation and its driving mechanisms in arid regions, laying a theoretical foundation and offering technical support for regional water resource management and desertification control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 85-100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal and spatial variations in evapotranspiration on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains based on multi-source datasets","authors":"YuanYuan Zhang ,&nbsp;MingJun Zhang ,&nbsp;ShiQin Xu ,&nbsp;CunWei Che ,&nbsp;QinQin Du","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>By combining eight types of evapotranspiration datasets, the spatial and temporal variations in the evapotranspiration (ET) on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains were analyzed in uninhabited areas that lack observational data. The order of the average annual ET was ERA5_Land (312.32 mm/a) &gt; CR (239.80 mm/a) &gt; MOD16STM (211.87 mm/a) &gt; GLADS (119.02 mm/a) &gt; ETM (111.88 mm/a) &gt; EB-ET (109.90 mm/a) &gt; GLEAM (100.84 mm/a) &gt; MERRA-2 (100.81 mm/a). The ET value from the ERA5_Land dataset was three times higher than that of the other five datasets. The ET values of the CR and MOD16STM datasets were twice that of the other five datasets. In terms of time, the correlation coefficient between the GLEAM and MERRA-2 datasets was the highest (<em>R</em> = 0.82). In terms of space, GLDAS and MERRA-2 had the highest multi-year average ET correlation coefficient (<em>R</em> = 0.80). The reduction in spatial scale resulted in clear differences in the multi-year average ET correlations among different products in the same region. In terms of time, the average annual ET of the basins on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains exhibited an overall increasing trend for all data sources, and the overall annual average change in the study area estimated by the eight datasets was 1.09 mm/a. The most rapid rates of increase were obtained from GLDAS (1.38 mm/a) and GLEAM (1.38 mm/a). In the CR, ERA5_Land, GLEAM, GLDAS, MERRA-2, ETM, MOD16STM, and EB-ET datasets, 46.46%, 41.47%, 87.30%, 40.30%, 49.10%, 47.13%, 57.16%, and 45.12% of the watersheds, respectively, showed a significantly increasing trend. The ET value of the Yarkand River Basin showed a significantly increasing trend for all eight data sources. The results of this study provide a scientific reference for the allocation of water resources on the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 59-70"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of spatial and temporal variations in precipitation using mixing methods based on multiple precipitation products on the Chinese Loess Plateau","authors":"YuanYuan Zhang ,&nbsp;MingJun Zhang ,&nbsp;QinQin Du ,&nbsp;MeiPing Sun ,&nbsp;CunWei Che ,&nbsp;BeiBei Li","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the intricate and precise natural process of the hydrological cycle, precipitation plays a pivotal driving role as the core link in the mutual transformation between surface water and atmospheric water. From a hydrological perspective, precipitation is not only the most active input in the hydrological cycle but also the primary driving force behind watershed hydrological processes. Its spatiotemporal distribution characteristics directly influence the dynamic processes of hydrological elements such as surface runoff, infiltration, and evapotranspiration. Accurate precipitation data is crucial for advancing hydrological studies, supporting agricultural practices, improving flood prediction, enabling effective drought monitoring, and formulating strategies to adapt to climate change. However, the Loess Plateau region, with its complex terrain and strong spatial heterogeneity, Together with the sparse and unequal distribution of rainfall ground stations, makes large-scale and accurate studies on precipitation characteristics challenging. This study concentrated on the Loess Plateau, employing remote sensing and reanalysis datasets to derive spatially distributed precipitation data for the targeted area. A comparison was conducted among nine precipitation datasets against observed data to evaluate the feasibility of each product. Furthermore, the precipitation estimation capabilities of two mixing methodologies were analyzed. The analysis reveals that the GPM dataset delivers the most accurate outcomes, whereas both MERRA-2 and ERA5_Land consistently overestimate precipitation values. The incorporation of mixing techniques enhanced the precision of precipitation estimates; notably, the maximum <em>R</em> (<em>R</em>_max) method produced interannual precipitation predictions with a maximum deviation of merely 10 mm from observed values, thus demonstrating its accuracy in interannual precipitation estimation within the Loess Plateau. Additionally, the Bayesian Model Averaging (BMA) method outperformed individual datasets in both spatial and temporal analyses. This method effectively estimates precipitation in the Loess Plateau by transforming site-specific weight values into grid formats. According to BMA estimates, average annual rainfall from 2001 to 2018 was around 445.2 mm, with a linear annual increase of 2.79 mm throughout this timeframe. Understanding the spatial heterogeneity characteristics and dynamic variation patterns of spatiotemporal precipitation is of significant theoretical and practical importance for formulating scientific soil and water conservation strategies and ecological restoration plans. In the Loess Plateau, a typical ecologically fragile region, precipitation, as a crucial hydro-meteorological element, directly influences the formation of surface runoff, the process of soil erosion, and the potential for vegetation recovery through its spatial and temporal distribution patterns.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"18 1","pages":"Pages 71-84"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147427762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Valuing ecosystem products and realization pathways for farmland ecosystems in inland river basins: A case study of Zhangye City","authors":"JunXia Miao ,&nbsp;WenDing Jian ,&nbsp;Na Wu ,&nbsp;Xiang Pan ,&nbsp;XueMei Liu ,&nbsp;XiaoYu Song","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Farmland ecosystems are the primary ecosystem type in inland river basins, providing the biological and material basis for human development and survival. The foundation for monetizing the value of agricultural ecological products and transforming green mountains into gold mountains is the precise assessment of ecosystem products in specific geographic units (VEP) within farmland ecosystems, which elucidates regional agricultural resource endowments and spatial distribution. However, agricultural ecological products face challenges in valuation, trading, and monetization, and research on pathways for their value transformation remains limited. This study uses Zhangye City in inland river basins as an example to construct a catalog of farmland ecosystem ecological products and explores VEP accounting methods based on multi-source data, including statistical, remote sensing, and monitoring data, at the city and county scales, and analyzes differentiated value transformation pathways according to the attributes of various agricultural ecological products. The results show that material supply value ranks highest among the VEP of farmland ecosystems in inland river basins, followed by regulatory services, while recreational agriculture value ranks lowest. The ranking of VEP varies from the ranking of farmland ecosystem area, with available agricultural water being a major constraint on the VEP of farmland ecosystems in inland river basins. Regional climate, geographic position, and transportation are linked to the value of agricultural ecosystem products within material supply products. Precipitation, soil structure, and cropping patterns are linked to the value of agricultural ecosystem products within regulatory services. The local cultural resources and tourism infrastructure are linked to the value of agricultural ecosystem products within cultural services. Regarding the pathways for achieving the value of agricultural ecological products, market-oriented strategies dominate the mainstay of material supply products, government-led mechanisms are pivotal for regulatory service products, and a combination of government and market strategies is essential for cultural service products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"17 6","pages":"Pages 413-426"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145711917","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting the unfrozen water content in unsaturated frozen soils using the electrical conductivity method","authors":"XiaoYan Li ,&nbsp;ChenZhang Sun ,&nbsp;HaoLiang Luo ,&nbsp;ChangShuai Cheng ,&nbsp;JiDong Teng","doi":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcar.2025.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Determination of the unfrozen water and ice contents in frozen soils is a critical issue in cold region geotechnics. The electrical conductivity method has been adopted in both laboratory and in-situ applications, but the exact correlation of unfrozen water content as a function of the electrical conductivity remains an unanswered question. This research conducts a series of lab experiments on the unfrozen water content and electrical conductivity of frozen soils using a temperature-controlled apparatus. The test results indicate that the electrical conductivity-temperature relationship determined at positive temperatures cannot be directly applicable at negative temperatures. The electrical conductivity variation with the temperature of frozen soils is clarified based on the measured data. By quantifying the soil surface and bulk conductivities, a new physically-based model for soils is then developed that can be applicable at positive and negative temperatures. A simplified electrical conductivity model involving the unfrozen water content is developed by analyzing the impact of bulk and surface conductivities on overall electrical conductivity. The accuracy of this simplified model is verified against the experimental data and those obtained with the previous method in the literature. It is found that the results obtained with the new model agree with the measured data, and the new model exhibits a simple form and is easy to apply.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":53163,"journal":{"name":"Research in Cold and Arid Regions","volume":"17 6","pages":"Pages 348-359"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145712496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}