Freeze-drying has been implicated as a factor causing soil aggregate breakdown on the Canadian Prairies and northern Great Plains. Aggregates of a Dark Brown Chernozemic clay loam soil sampled in October 1993 and January and April 1994 were subjected to repeated cycles of wetting (to 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 kg kg–1 water contents) freezing, and freeze-drying under laboratory conditions. The October 1993 samples showed less disruption when initially exposed to freeze-drying cycles compared to samples taken in January and April 1994. Using regression analysis, we predicted that 31 freeze-dry cycles were required for the 0.1 kg kg–1 water content aggregates to reach 60% erodible fraction (EF, % aggregates
Revised: August 25, 2004 |
Published: January 1, 1999
Citation
Bullock M.S., F.J. Larney, S.M. McGinn, and R.C. Izaurralde. 1999.Freeze-drying processes and wind erodibility of a clay loam soil in southern Alberta.Canadian Journal of Soil Science 79, no. 1:127-135.PNNL-SA-42199.