Soil erosion rates vary throughout the season, with over 50% of the annual soil loss in some regions occurring when frozen soils undergo the thawing process. The objective of this study was to identify the soil mechanics which cause highly erodible soil conditions during the soil thawing process. This was done by 1) identifying freeze-thaw effects on the soil shear strength parameter, cohesion; 2) identifying subsurface frozen layer effects on matric potential and shear strength of the thawed surface soil layer during rainfall; and 3) relating soil detachment from raindrop impact to soil shear strength for unfrozen, thawing, and thawed soils.

Ms. Jane Froese
Department of Agronomy
1112 H.J. Patterson Hall
University of Maryland
College Park, MD  20742
E-mail: froese@Glue.umd.edu

Richard M. Cruse
Department of Agronomy
Iowa State University
Phone: 515-294-7850
FAX: 515-294-7850 or 3163
E-mail: x1cruse@exnet.iastate.edu