A portable experimental hillslope for frozen ground studies

Abstract

AbstractFrozen ground hydrological effects on runoff, storage, and release have been observed in the field and tested in numerical models, but few physical models of frozen slopes (at scales from 1 to 15 m) exist partly because the design of such an experiment requires new engineering design for realistic whole‐slope freezing and physical model innovation. Here, we present a new freezable tilting hillslope physical model for hydrological system testing under a variety of climate conditions with the ability to perform multiple (up to 20 per year) freeze–thaw cycles. The 4 × 2 m hillslope is mobile and tiltable on the basis of a modified tri‐axle 4.88‐m (16′) dump trailer to facilitate testing multiple configurations. The system includes controllable boundary conditions on all surfaces; examples of side and baseflow boundary conditions include permeable membranes, impermeable barriers, semipermeable configurations, and constant head conditions. To simulate cold regions and to freeze the hillslope in a realistic and controlled manner, insulation and a removable freezer system are incorporated onto the top boundary of the hillslope. The freezing system is designed to expedite the freezing process by the addition of a 10,130‐KJ (9,600‐BTU) refrigeration coil to the top‐centre of the insulated ceiling. Centre placement provides radial freezing of the hillslope in a top‐down fashion, similar to what natural systems encounter in the environment. The perimeter walls are insulated with 100 mm of spray foam insulation, whereas the base of the hillslope is not insulated to simulate natural heat fluxes beneath the frozen layer of soil. Our preliminary testing shows that covers can be frozen down to −10 °C in approximately 7 days, with subsequent thaw on a similar time frame.