Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment

Most researches assume snow cover as an unventilated thermal resistance to discuss its impacts on the crushed-rock interlayer embankment (CRIE). However, as a porous medium, its role in altering ventilation cooling remains elusive. We developed a numerical model particularly consisting of ventilated...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kun Xiang, Aleksandr Zhirkov, Zhi Wen, Yuan Li, Fei Wang, Ming-Li Zhang, Liangzhi Chen, De-Sheng Li, Xiao-Ying Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-04-01
Series:Advances in Climate Change Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000577
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850183909304696832
author Kun Xiang
Aleksandr Zhirkov
Zhi Wen
Yuan Li
Fei Wang
Ming-Li Zhang
Liangzhi Chen
De-Sheng Li
Xiao-Ying Li
author_facet Kun Xiang
Aleksandr Zhirkov
Zhi Wen
Yuan Li
Fei Wang
Ming-Li Zhang
Liangzhi Chen
De-Sheng Li
Xiao-Ying Li
author_sort Kun Xiang
collection DOAJ
description Most researches assume snow cover as an unventilated thermal resistance to discuss its impacts on the crushed-rock interlayer embankment (CRIE). However, as a porous medium, its role in altering ventilation cooling remains elusive. We developed a numerical model particularly consisting of ventilated snow cover to investigate impacts on the cooling mechanisms and performance of CRIE under climate change. We found that the cooling performance is seriously underestimated if the ventilation of snow cover is ignored. Natural convection and forced convection coexist in cold seasons, and snow cover is conducive to the former, but not to the latter. Snow cover weakens the cooling performance depending on external wind speeds, ambient temperature and relevant properties of snow cover. Before the limit thickness (about 0.5 m) of snow cover, thermal insulation effect would be enhanced with snow cover thickening. On the contrary, it would be weakened and the cooling role increases relatively after the limit. The same goes for total natural convection strength over the entire period of snow cover. Increased snow cover porosity could enhance the cooling performance, while the increase of external wind speeds and extended duration of snow cover might warm the underlying permafrost. The findings provide a valuable reference for its application in snowy permafrost regions.
format Article
id doaj-art-59f73bb995294d32b4e00513444234c4
institution OA Journals
issn 1674-9278
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Advances in Climate Change Research
spelling doaj-art-59f73bb995294d32b4e00513444234c42025-08-20T02:17:10ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Advances in Climate Change Research1674-92782025-04-0116225727210.1016/j.accre.2025.02.009Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankmentKun Xiang0Aleksandr Zhirkov1Zhi Wen2Yuan Li3Fei Wang4Ming-Li Zhang5Liangzhi Chen6De-Sheng Li7Xiao-Ying Li8State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaMelnikov Permafrost Institute SB RAS, Yakutsk 677010, RussiaState Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Corresponding author. Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaSchool of Civil Engineering, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050, ChinaSwiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf 8903, SwitzerlandNanjing University of Science and Technology School of Science, Nanjing 210000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, ChinaMost researches assume snow cover as an unventilated thermal resistance to discuss its impacts on the crushed-rock interlayer embankment (CRIE). However, as a porous medium, its role in altering ventilation cooling remains elusive. We developed a numerical model particularly consisting of ventilated snow cover to investigate impacts on the cooling mechanisms and performance of CRIE under climate change. We found that the cooling performance is seriously underestimated if the ventilation of snow cover is ignored. Natural convection and forced convection coexist in cold seasons, and snow cover is conducive to the former, but not to the latter. Snow cover weakens the cooling performance depending on external wind speeds, ambient temperature and relevant properties of snow cover. Before the limit thickness (about 0.5 m) of snow cover, thermal insulation effect would be enhanced with snow cover thickening. On the contrary, it would be weakened and the cooling role increases relatively after the limit. The same goes for total natural convection strength over the entire period of snow cover. Increased snow cover porosity could enhance the cooling performance, while the increase of external wind speeds and extended duration of snow cover might warm the underlying permafrost. The findings provide a valuable reference for its application in snowy permafrost regions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000577Crushed-rock interlayer embankmentPermafrostSnow coverCooling performanceConvective heat transfer
spellingShingle Kun Xiang
Aleksandr Zhirkov
Zhi Wen
Yuan Li
Fei Wang
Ming-Li Zhang
Liangzhi Chen
De-Sheng Li
Xiao-Ying Li
Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
Advances in Climate Change Research
Crushed-rock interlayer embankment
Permafrost
Snow cover
Cooling performance
Convective heat transfer
title Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
title_full Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
title_fullStr Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
title_full_unstemmed Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
title_short Impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed-rock interlayer embankment
title_sort impacts of snow cover on the cooling mechanism and performance in the crushed rock interlayer embankment
topic Crushed-rock interlayer embankment
Permafrost
Snow cover
Cooling performance
Convective heat transfer
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674927825000577
work_keys_str_mv AT kunxiang impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT aleksandrzhirkov impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT zhiwen impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT yuanli impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT feiwang impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT minglizhang impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT liangzhichen impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT deshengli impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment
AT xiaoyingli impactsofsnowcoveronthecoolingmechanismandperformanceinthecrushedrockinterlayerembankment