• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.71-80
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• 2010

Korea is considered to be a seasonal frozen soil area that thaws in the spring, and freezes in winter. In the current design codes for anti-freezing layer, the thickness of anti-freezing layer is calculated by the depth frozen due to the temperature condition. Therefore, there is a tendency of over-design and applying uniform thickness without the consideration of thermal stability, bearing capacity and frost susceptibility of materials. So, it is essential to study the structural appropriateness of pavement layer and bearing capacity besides the seasonal and mechanical properties of pavement materials to take an appropriate and reasonable design of the road structure. In this paper, the evaluation of frost susceptibility on subgrade, ant-freezing layer, subbase was conducted by means of the mechanical characteristics and model experiment. The temperature, heaving amount, unfrozen water contents and freezing depth of soil samples, the subgrade, anti-freezing layer, subbase soils of road construction site were measured to determine the frost susceptibility.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.282-291
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• 2022

Background: The Arctic permafrost stores enormous amount of carbon (C), about one third of global C stocks. However, drastically increasing temperature in the Arctic makes the stable frozen C stock vulnerable to microbial decomposition. The released carbon dioxide from permafrost can cause accelerating C feedback to the atmosphere. Soil organic matter (SOM) composition would be the basic information to project the trajectory of C under rapidly changing climate. However, not many studies on SOM characterization have been done compared to quantification of SOM stocks. Thus, the purpose of our study is to determine soil properties and molecular compositions of SOM in four different Arctic regions. We collected soils in different soil layers from 1) Cambridge Bay, Canada, 2) Council, Alaska, USA, 3) Svalbard, Norway, and 4) Zackenberg, Greenland. The basic soil properties were measured, and the molecular composition of SOM was analyzed through pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS). Results: The Oi layer of soil in Council, Alaska showed the lowest soil pH and the highest electrical conductivity (EC) and SOM content. All soils in each site showed increasing pH and decreasing SOC and EC values with soil depth. Since the Council site was moist acidic tundra compared to other three dry tundra sites, soil properties were distinct from the others: high SOM and EC, and low pH. Through the py-GC/MS analysis, a total of 117 pyrolysis products were detected from 32 soil samples of four different Arctic soils. The first two-axis of the PCA explained 38% of sample variation. While short- and mid-hydrocarbons were associated with mineral layers, lignins and polysaccharides were linked to organic layers of Alaska and Cambridge Bay soil. Conclusions: We conclude that the py-GC/MS results separated soil samples mainly based on the origin of SOM (plants- or microbially-derived). This molecular characteristics of SOM can play a role of controlling SOM degradation to warming. Thus, it should be further investigated how the SOM molecular characteristics have impacts on SOM dynamics through additional laboratory incubation studies and microbial decomposition measurements in the field.

• Journal of the Korean Geosynthetics Society
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.13-23
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• 2013

The Korean Peninsula is considered as a seasonal frozen area that is thawed in the spring and frozen in the winter. The influence of fines of the frost susceptibility of subgrade soils were established by laboratory freezing tests simulating closely the thermal conditions in the field. During the winter season, the climate is heavily influenced by the cold and dry continental high pressure. Because of siberian air mass, the temperature of January is $-6{\sim}-7^{\circ}C$ on average. This chilly weather generate the frost heaving by freezing the moisture of soil and damage potential of the geotechnical structure. In the freezing soil, the ice lenses increase the freeze portion of soil by absorbing the ground water with capillary action. However, the capillary characteristics differ from the sort of soil on the state of freezing condition. In this study, ten soil samples are prepared. The basic physical property tests were performed by following the Korean Industrial Standard and the soil specimens were classified by the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). These classified soils are used to perform the laboratory opened systems freezing test in order to determine the frost heaving characteristics of soils such as unfrozen water content, heaving amount, and freezing depth.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.65-74
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• 2003

Most of land reclamation projects are being implemented along the south and west coastal lines of the Korean Peninsula. The earth structures and in-ground LNG tank, and buildings can be constructed using artificial freezing method on the reclaimed land to control the uplift pressure caused by capillary forces. In this study, upon freezing a saturated soil in a closed-system from the top, a considerable frost heaving pressure was developed. Decomposed granite soils, silty soil, and sandy soil were used in the laboratory freeze test which is sometimes subjected to thermal gradients under closed-systems. A major concern has been the ability to predict the frost heaving pressure over the results of relatively short-term laboratory tests. The frost heaving pressure arising within the soil samples and the temperature of the samples inside were monitored with time elapse. The degree of saturation versus heaving pressure curve is presented for each soil sample and the maximum pressure is closely related to this curve. TDR apparatus was used to measure the volumetric water content by the measurement of unfrozen water contents of frozen soils. Unfrozen water increased in soils containing a high percentage of fine-grained particles. In fine-grained soils with strong attractive farces between soil grains and water molecules, additional water is attracted into the pores leading to further volume changes and ice segregation.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 1999

The wetland is very important ecologically as a habitat of diverse organisms. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the morphogenetic environment of Jilmoe Bog found in the Odae Mountain National Park Jilmoe Bog is located in the high etchplain(1,060m) where Daebo Granite which had intruded in Jura epoch of Mesozoic era has weathered deeply and has uplifted in the Tertiary. The annual mean temperature of study area is $5.3^{\circ}C$, the annual precipitation is 2,888mm. The minimun temperature of the coldest month(january) is below $-30^{\circ}C$ and the depth of frozen soil is over 1.6m. Jilmoe bog consists of a large bog and a small bog. The length of the large bog is 63m and its width is 42m. The basal surface of Jilmoe bog is uneven. Jilmoe bog is a string bog fanned due to frost actions. In String bog, its surface is wavy with stepped dry hills and net-like troughs crossing hill slope. It seems that string bog is related to the permofrost or seasonal permofrost of cold conifer forest(taiga) zone(where the depth of frozen soil is very deep in the least in winters). String bog is a kind of thermokarst that frozen soil thaws differentially locally in declining permofrost and ground surface becomes irregular. There is turf-banked terracette of width $30{\sim}40cm$ in the headwall of small cirque-type nivation hollow formed at footslope of Maebong mountain around Jilmoe bog. This turf-banked terracette is formed by the frost growth of soil water below grass mat in periglacial climate environment. Where water is plentiful such as a nivation follow${\sim}$valley corridor and a headwall of valley, turf patterned grounds of width $30{\sim}50cm$ are found. This turf patterned ground is 'unclassified patterned ground', earth hummock. In conclusion, Jilmoe bog is a string bog of thermokarst that the relief of ground surface is irregular according to locally differentially thawing of permofrost(frozen soil). Jilmoe bog is high moor, its surroundings belongs to periglacial environment that turf-banked terracette and turf patterned ground are fanned actively.

• Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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• 2008.03a
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• pp.894-904
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• 2008

In this study, soil samples from the Antarctic and Vladivostok, Siberia were tested in the laboratory, and specific gravity, compaction curve and grain size distribution were determined. The effect of temperature change on the thermal conductivity, unfrozen water content and compressive strength were investigated. Samples for the compressive strength test were prepared in a mold with a fixed volume to prevent swelling and the effect of temperature and water content change on the strength were compared. Results from the thermal conductivity test showed that thermal conductivity values for both soils were larger at temperatures below freezing than above freezing. The unfrozen water content dropped sharply within a temperature range of $0{\sim}-5^{\circ}C$ and then gradually decreased further up to $-20^{\circ}C$. Compressive strength test results showed various stress/deformation curves with a change in water content. Sandy soil had much larger strength than pure ice at an identical temperature, while clayey soil had a smaller strength than ice near the freezing point, but showed a larger strength at temperatures belows $-15^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of Climate Change Research
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.249-256
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• 2014

Permafrost is frozen soil below $0^{\circ}C$ for two or more years. Surface of permafrost is called as active layer that seasonally thaws during the summer. Although the thawing of permafrost may deepen the active layer and consequently increase the microbial activity, the microbial community structure in this habitat has not yet been well described. In this study, we presented bacterial and archaeal diversity in the active layer soil from Resolute, Canada using pyrosequencing analysis. The soil sample was collected from the surface of the marsh covered with moss and Carex. A total of 7,796 bacterial reads for 40 phyla and 245 archaeal reads for 4 phyla were collected, reflecting the high diversity of bacteria. Predominant bacterial groups were Proteobacteria (37.7%) and Bacteroidetes (30.0%) in this study. Major groups in Archaea were Euryarchaeota (51.4%) and Thaumarchaeota (46.1%). Both methane producing archaea and consuming bacteria were detected in this study. Although it might be difficult to characterize microbial community with only one sample, it could be used for the basis of assessing the relative importance of the specific groups with a high resolution on the bacterial and archaeal community in this habitat.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.393-399
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• 2022

The Segregation Potential (SP) is one of the most widely used predictors of frost heave in cold regions. Laboratory step-freezing tests determining a representative SP at the onset of the formation of the last ice lens (near the thermal steady state condition) can predict susceptibility to frost heave. Previous work has proposed empirical semi-log fitting for determination of the representative SP and applied it to several fine-grained soils, but considering only frost-susceptible soils. The presence of fines in coarse-grained soil affects frost susceptibility. Therefore, it is required to evaluate the applicability of the empirical semi-log fitting for both frost-susceptible and non-frost-susceptible soils with fines content. This paper reports laboratory frost heave tests for fines contents of 5%-70%. The frost susceptibility of soil mixtures composed of sand and silt was classified by the representative SP, and the suitability of the empirical semi-log fitting method was assessed. Combining semi-log fitting with simple laboratory frost heave testing using a temperature-controllable cell is shown to be suitable for both frost-susceptible and non-frost-susceptible soils. In addition, initially non-frost-susceptible soil became frost susceptible at a 10%-20% weight fraction of fines. This threshold fines content matched well with transitions in the engineering characteristics of both the unfrozen and frozen soil mixtures.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.15-26
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• 2010

To determine the frost heave suppressing mechanism of soil mixed with tire powder, we conducted three kinds of laboratory experiments: measurement of unfrozen water, evaluation of thermal conductivity, and a frost heave. In this research, we focused on changes in the coefficient of permeability of the mixed soil, and first found that of the unsaturated soil. Next, in the case of the presence of ice, we took the ice-impeding factor into consideration to derive the coefficient of permeability of the frozen fringe from the area ratio of the soil and tire powder in mixed soil. The results show a positive correlation between the water intake rate and the coefficient of permeability. Moreover, we found that the frost heave decreased thanks to a reduction in the permeability and a fall in the unfrozen water content of the soil mixed with tire powder. We also calculated the weight of the water content of the soil and tire powder void quantitatively using the result of the volumetric ratio of mixed soil.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.5-12
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• 2009

Soil samples from the King Sejong Station in Antarctic and Vladivostok were tested in the laboratory and specific gravity, compaction curve, grain size distribution were determined. The effect of temperature change on the thermal conductivity, unfrozen water content, compressive strength were investigated. In addition, the change of tensile strength with temperature of the soil from Vladivostok was measured. Samples for the compressive strength test and tensional strength test were prepared in a mould with a fixed volume to prevent swelling. Also the effects of temperature and water content change on those strength were compared. Results from the thermal conductivity test showed that thermal conductivity values for both soils was larger at temperatures below freezing than those above freezing. The unfrozen water content dropped rapidly within a temperature range of $0{\sim}-5^{\circ}C$ and then gradually decreased further $-20^{\circ}C$. Compressive strength test results showed various stress/deformation curves with a change in water content. Sandy soil of the King Sejong Station had a much larger strength than ice at an identical temperature, while clayey soil of Vladivostok had a smaller strength than ice in the initial stage, but showed a larger strength at temperatures belows $-15^{\circ}C$. Tensile strength tests revealed an increase in the strength with a decreasing temperature.