Measurement of selected thermal and physical properties of organic soil by direct and indirect methods

Results suggest that a linear relation between cumulative ground heat flux and cumulative skin temperature provides a reasonable representation of soil thaw and is relatively consistent between the two sub-arctic permafrost sites. However, a power equation showed better potential for thaw depth prediction and a better compatibility between sites. The partitioning of the ground heat flux at the two study sites was significantly different due to variations in soil moisture. At the wetter site, a larger fraction of the ground heat flux is partitioned to melt ground ice and warm the soil; whereas the dryer site experienced larger fluxes to the permafrost. Comparison of image analysis and pressure plate extractor test data suggests that 2D images of soil are a reasonable analogue for the 3D structure of soil, and that this method provides a fairly accurate approximation for use in characterizing soil and pore structure.