Zabaikalye is one of the largest regions in Russia located in the south of Eastern Siberia in permafrost zone, the total area is more than 900 sq.km. The region is known for its extremely continental climate and unique combination of natural conditions determining the peculiarities of physical and biological processes in frozen soils.

The paper presents the results of a long-term study of dynamics of hydrothermal processes in soils and subsoils due to seasonal freezing and thawing.

Under consideration are the nature, physics and regularities of cryogenic process development in soils and subsoils, (freezing, thawing, frost fracturing, formation and transformation of cryogenic textures, frost heaving, sublimational soil trasformation) accompanying hydrothermal processes.

The paper also describes calculation methods of determining the caracteristics of cryogenic processes to forecast the processes and to analytically study the dynamics of physical processes in soils: energy-and-mass transfer in soils with subsoils and atmosphere, stresses deformed condition under freezing and thawing.

In conclusion the author gives recommendations on governing cryogenic processes in soils to make practical use of the processes.

Ilia I. Zheleznyak
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