Influence of seasonal soil temperature variation and global warming on the seismic response of frozen soils in permafrost regions

Abstract

There has been growing interest in seismic hazards in permafrost regions as development in those regions has increased. Because major infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines, has been constructed in permafrost regions, it is necessary to evaluate the seismic safety of such a network system. As frozen soil's dynamic properties differ from those of its unfrozen state, the characteristics of seismic waves propagated through frozen soil layers in permafrost differ from those propagated through unfrozen soil. Thus, the dynamic properties and composition of frozen soil layers located between bedrock and the ground surface need to be realistically considered in evaluating the seismic hazards of permafrost regions. The frozen soil layer's composition greatly depends on soil temperatures which vary seasonally and are gradually increasing due to global warming, therefore it is necessary to consider soil temperature variation. In this study, comprehensive parametric site response analysis was carried out based on measured data regarding seasonal and annual temperature variation to investigate seismic hazards. The soil temperature variation between summer and winter and temperature increases due to global warming were the main considerations. The analysis results clearly show that the soil temperature variation significantly impacts seismic hazards in the permafrost region, leading to different site response characteristics than those in the non-permafrost region.

Dynamic response analysis of layered saturated frozen soil foundation subjected to moving loads

“…From the Reference (Jamin et al, 2021), it is known that soil temperature in frozen areas is seasonally variable above a certain depth, with the upper soil temperature being higher than the lower layer in summer and the upper soil temperature being lower than the lower layer in winter, and that the temperature change also affects the changes in the components in the saturated frozen soils, so the influence of temperature on the dynamic response can not be ignored. Liu and Zhang (2012) pointed out that the unfrozen water content and pore ice content of frozen soil change very sharply at T=0°C ~ -1°C.…”

Investigating the Change Pattern in Adsorption Properties of Soil Media for Non-Polar Organic Contaminants under the Impact of Freezing and Thawing

“…Seasonal permafrost is extensively distributed worldwide, exhibiting an average of 50.5% of the total land area in the Northern Hemisphere, as well as reaching 81% during extremely cold years [18,19]. Freeze-thaw cycles, as abiotic stressors impacting the soil, possess the capacity to basically alter soil states to influence soil structure and water distribution characteristics, which can subsequently affect the sorption processes of contaminants.…”

Monitoring Soil-Pile Stripping Damage at Different Temperatures via Piezoelectric Ceramic Sensors

“…Temperature also affects the shear strength of the soil-pile interface [14], size and ice content of the hardened concrete [15], and performance of the reinforced concrete [16]. Seasonal soil temperature changes and global warming also have significant impacts on the earthquake disasters in permafrost regions [17]. In most regions of the world, seasonal alternation produces a large temperature difference, resulting in a freeze-thaw cycle; this, in turn, affects the nature of the soil and causes a certain degree of damage to the concrete pile, thereby affecting the service life of the pile foundation.…”