Soil water freezing model with non-iterative energy balance accounting

Abstract

A new modeling approach was developed to facilitate simulations of soil water flow and energy transport during sporadic freezing–thawing episodes typical for the winter regime of humid-temperate continental climate. The approach is based on an accurate non-iterative algorithm for solving the highly non-linear energy balance equation during phase transitions. The new algorithm was successfully verified against the analytical solution for idealized freezing and thawing conditions. Two examples of the model application – under hypothetical and real field conditions – are given.