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Diapirism in soils due to thaw of ice‐rich material near the permafrost table
Author(s) -
Swanson David K.,
Ping ChienLu,
Michaelson Gary J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
permafrost and periglacial processes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1099-1530
pISSN - 1045-6740
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1530(199910/12)10:4<349::aid-ppp318>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - permafrost , diapir , geology , soil water , water table , bulk density , geomorphology , soil horizon , mineralogy , soil science , geotechnical engineering , groundwater , oceanography , structural basin
The unstable bulk density profiles and viscous nature of wet soils with permafrost facilitate flow of soil by diapirism. Soil material with low bulk density due to very high ice content is commonly present near the permafrost table. Horizons with gravimetric water contents of 1 to 2 kg water per kg dry soil were found within 1 m of the surface in soils on the North Slope of Alaska. This material has bulk density that is up to 0.8 Mg m −3 less than the overlying drier mineral soil material. As a result of this unstable bulk density profile, diapiric upward movement of the low‐density soil material is likely when it thaws. Quantitative comparisons of diapir scale models and theory from the literature with measured soil bulk densities and viscosities from arctic Alaska indicate that several decimetres of diapir movement could easily occur during a single thaw season. Movement of diapirs is probably an important mechanism in the formation of involutions and mudboils. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.