Measurement of Hydraulic Conductivity of Frozen Soils

Abstract

Frozen soils contain a significant amount of water which moves under appropriate gradients. An apparatus has been devised for measuring the hydraulic conductivity. It involves the use of reservoirs containing a weak solution of lactose such that the free energy is initially reduced to that of the water in the soil. The solution therefore remains unfrozen. A gradient is established by application of pressure, and pure water moves in the sample. The hydraulic conductivity is found to depend on soil type and temperature.