Seasonally frozen soils occupy the most part of Russia. The north-east regions of Russia are located in eternal frozen soil area. For regions with cold climate and seasonally or eternal frozen soil it is very important to know the impact of the human activity. With of grow warmer climate will start to destroy these regions. The reporting is devoted some information support for prediction of positive or compensation of negative impact of the human activity and climate change for regions with cold climate and seasonally or eternal frozen soil. The method of attack includes: soil thermal properties measurement techniques, information about thermal property values of typical seasonally frozen soils, modeling processes of soil thermal regime and artificial soil freezing/thawing.

The some problems of measurement techniques of soil physical properties was development. In particular, the express method for simultaneous measurements of all primary heat properties (SMAPP method ) was suggested. This method was tested by experiments with using metrological recommendations. The result of a laboratory calibration study illustrated that the experimental equipment measures the thermal properties with acceptable accuracy. Estimated values ranged from 0.052 for thermal diffusivity of sample of water to 0.174 for volumetric heat capacity of sample of organic glass, the average value is 0.103. A main benefit of the equipment was the fact, that it could measure simultaneous all primary soil thermal properties on one sample typically within 2 min.

Thermal properties values of typical soil for European part of former Soviet Union and East Siberia was considerate. The information is given for melted and freeze soils by empirical formulas and graphics as functions of water content and bulk density.

In the design and management of land areas with seasonally or eternal frozen soil must be considered consequence of the human activity. The model for estimate soil thermal regime change can help predict the effect of vegetation change (to cut down of foresters), water regime change, and different technologies of land use. Also, model may be useful understanding of relationships between soil thermal regime, vegetation and human impacts. The models are based on modeling of processes of energy and mass transfer in the system of soil - plants - active layer of atmosphere - human impact. It has been applied successfully for studying land management impacts on soil freezing or thawing. In particular, the model is used in many applications where optimum strategy of agriculture treatments is searched for. In particular, it is applied some technologies like defense of winter crops against freeze, and management of soil thermal regime by snow regulations.

Dr. Sc., Prof. Dmitry Kurtener
Agrophysical Research Institute
14 Grazhdansky prospect, 195220, St.Petersburg, Russia.
Tel: (812) 534-46-52
Fax: (812) 535-52-20
E-mail: ivl@agrophys.spb.su