2008 Joint Annual Meeting (5-9 Oct. 2008): Measure Soil Ice Density and Thermal Properties by Dual-Probe Heat Pulse Method.

Measuring the soil ice density (老i), thermal conductivity (竹) of frozen soil is important for modeling the energy and water balance of the earth surface. The objective of this research is to introduce the Dual-Probe Heat Pulse (DPHP) method for measuring soil ice density as well as thermal properties 竹. To avoid melting, DPHP experiments with 60-s heat pulse duration and variable strength of q∩ < 25 W m每1 were carried out on frozen soils at various temperatures. For water saturated sand of grains size 0.3 mm and 2 mm, there are good agreements between the DPHP measured 老i and that of gravimetrically measured 老i at temperature below -18 oC. Above that temperature, the melting phase change associated with depression freezing temperature will lead to overestimation of 老i.