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Soil Water Movement as Affected by Deep Freezing¹

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of water movement into and through frozen soils is needed for studying the hydrologic behavior of northern watersheds. Soil water was logged by the neutron method in both sandy and silty soils over four winters in southwestern Wisconsin. Bonded frost depth, which ranged from 8 to 120 cm at maximum penetration, was measured concurrently by frost probe or resistance blocks. Changes in soil water took place throughout much of the frost season, even with deep soil frost. One series of data showed that water may infiltrate and percolate through more than 60 cm of hard-frozen ground. However, frozen ground did impede percolation, causing a buildup of water in the frozen zone during spring melt. Although neutron readings increased at upper levels during the frost season, most of the increases could not be accounted for by decreases at lower levels. Thus, they appeared to result more from infiltration than from upward migration as reported by others.

Contribution from the Forest Service, USDA, North Central Forest Exp. Sta., St. Paul, Minn. Presented before Div. S-1, Soil Science Society of America, Nov. 13, 1968, in New Orleans, La.

² Principal Hydrologist, Forest Watershed Lab., North Central Forest Exp. Sta., Forest Service, USDA. The Laboratory is maintained in cooperation with the State of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Received for publication November 12, 1968. Accepted for publication January 1, 1969.