Impact from falling objects can easily cause the local deformation of pipeline, which threatens the safe and stable operation of pipeline. In order to study the dynamic response behavior of impacted buried pipelines in cold regions, the buried pipelines, frozen soil and falling objects are taken as the object. Considering the nonlinearity of pipeline material, the contact nonlinearity between pipeline, falling objects and frozen soil, a double nonlinear dynamic analysis model of buried pipeline in cold regions is established by explicit dynamic analysis method. The rationality of the model method is verified by comparing the curves in this paper with those from the experiment. Furthermore, the changing laws of dynamic response of pipeline influenced by different factors are discussed. The results show that: when the buried depth of pipeline is 2 m, the deformation and residual stress of pipeline increase with the increase of pipeline's diameter-tothickness ratio, the impact velocity of falling object and the water content of frozen soil, and the impact velocity of falling objects influences the dynamic response behavior of pipelines most significantly, followed by the diameter-thickness ratio of pipelines and the water content of frozen soil; When the diameter-thickness ratio of the pipeline is 58, the deformation and residual stress of pipeline decrease with the increase of buried depth by 75 % and 88 % respectively. Among the four influencing factors, when the impact velocity of falling objects is 10 m/s and the buried depth of pipeline is 3 m, the deformation amplitude of pipelines caused by falling objects is the smallest. It is suggested that in the high-risk regions of falling objects, the diameter-thickness ratio, buried depth and the water content of frozen soil can be reasonably controlled under the condition of predicting the maximum potential impact velocity of falling objects, so as to improve the ability of the pipeline to resist external impact damage, which provides theoretical basis and quantitative control standards for the impact design of pipeline engineering in cold regions.

Understanding the thermal regime of road embankments in cold climates during winter is essential for efficient road design and accurate estimation of maintenance frequencies to reduce freeze-induced damage. In response to the challenging climate conditions in northern Sweden, an experimental field setup was designed to assess the thermal impact of culverts and accumulated snow in ditches on the thermal regime of road embankments during a winter season. This study provides detailed information on the experimental setup, highlights potential challenges from installation phase to data acquisition, and addresses measurement errors. Methods to ensure accuracy and obtain reliable data are also presented. Additionally, some of the obtained measurement results are included in this paper. The results show that snow impacts the thermal regime of the embankment from the onset of accumulation in the ditch, when the snow cover is still thin, until it reaches a depth of 65 cm. Beyond this depth, the soil beneath the snow remains almost unfrozen throughout the winter season. Additionally, the temperature distribution measurements within the embankment indicate that freezing progresses faster near the culvert compared to the rest of the embankment. However, once the culvert ends are insulated by snow cover, the frost depth in the soil near the culvert does not increase significantly, while the rest of the road continues to freeze gradually to greater depths throughout the winter season. The measurement results presented in this study provide researchers with a reliable dataset for validating numerical models in related research areas simulating cold-climate conditions. Additionally, these results enhance the understanding of the thermal regime of road embankments in typical cold climates and offer valuable insights for planning road maintenance and construction in such regions. Furthermore, this study provides essential information for researchers aiming to design and optimize experimental measurement setups in similar investigations.

Heating method shows considerable potential for mitigating frost heave of subgrade in cold regions. However, the water-heat-deformation characteristics of subgrade under the coupling effect of freezing-thawing and heating effect remain unclear, which hampers the optimization and widespread application of heating method. Therefore, this paper proposes a numerical model of subgrade water-heat-deformation considering heating effect. The influence and mechanism of heating effect on water-heat-deformation of subgrade is systematically analyzed. The results show that the heating effect changes the water-heat-deformation state of subgrade. Furthermore, the combined influence of shady-sunny slope effect and ballast layer ensures that ground temperature near the subgrade center remains above 0 degrees C, thereby preventing the formation of ice lenses and frost heave. However, the shoulders on both sides enter a freezing state, and freezing rate, freezing depth and frost heave are reduced by more than 45 %, 60 % and 60 % respectively compared with the comparison subgrade. The freezing depth, driving force and rate of water migration are significantly affected by heating effect, which increases the pathways of water upward migration and greatly weakens the segregated frost heave of subgrade. This is the primary mechanism through which the heating method effectively mitigates frost heave in subgrades.

Cold climate viticulture is challenged by climatic variability, including increased frost risk, shorter growing seasons, and unpredictable weather events that impact vine productivity and grape quality. Global warming is altering traditional viticulture zones, prompting the exploration of new regions for grape cultivation, the selection of climate-resilient cultivars, and the implementation of adaptive practices. This review synthesizes recent advances in adaptive viticulture practices and plant growth regulator applications, highlighting novel molecular and physiological insights on cold stress resilience and berry quality. Key strategies include delayed winter pruning to mitigate frost damage, osmoprotectant application to improve freeze tolerance, and canopy management techniques (cluster thinning and defoliation) to enhance berry ripening and wine composition. Their effectiveness depends on vineyard microclimate, soil properties and variety-specific physiological response. Cover cropping is examined for its role in vine vigor regulation, improving soil microbial diversity, and water retention, though its effectiveness depends on soil type, participation patterns, and vineyard management practices. Recent transcriptomic and metabolomic studies have provided new regulatory mechanisms in cold stress adaptation, highlighting the regulatory roles of abscisic acid, brassinosteroids, ethylene, and salicylic acid in dormancy induction, oxidative stress response, and osmotic regulation. Reflective mulch technologies are currently examined for their ability to enhance light interception, modulating secondary metabolite accumulation, improving technological maturity (soluble solids, pH, and titratable acidity) and enhancing phenolic compounds content. The effectiveness of these strategies remains highly site-specific, influenced by variety selection and pruning methods particularly due to their differences on sugar accumulation and berry weight. Future research should prioritize long-term vineyard trials to refine these adaptive strategies, integrate genetic and transcriptomic insights into breeding programs to improve cold hardiness, and develop precision viticulture tools tailored to cold climate vineyard management.

BackgroundLow soil temperature and its fluctuation can negatively impact the growth of seedlings. The district of Cooch Behar (India), belonging to the Cwa zone (according to Koppen's classification), receives several cold waves during winter. Our previous study demonstrated that a constant temperature of 20 degrees C (chilling but not freezing) can cause a loss in the vigor of tomatoes. Since the temperature of the soil is not uniform throughout the day, we hypothesized that the duration of cold exposure can have variable effects on seed vigor.ResultsIt was observed that increasing the duration of cold stress can slow down the germination process and reduce vigor. This was due to the cold-mediated damage to cell membranes (due to dehydration) which caused electrolyte leakage and reduced levels of glutathione reductase. In this regard, biopriming seeds with microbes that produce exopolysaccharide (EPS) can be useful as it can form a protective layer on the seeds. Indigenous EPS-producing bacteria, Bacillus, Phytobacter and Priestia sp., were used for biopriming. Priestia and Phytobacter sp. not only reduced the electrolyte leakage but also increased the levels of antioxidant genes. This improved the germination speed and vigor. In a field trial, the rhizosphere of the seedlings pretreated with bioinoculants displayed a reduced thermal fluctuation compared with the untreated seeds.ConclusionThe seedlings treated with bioinoculants grew faster in soil in spite of low soil temperature. This can reduce the nursery time of seedlings. (c) 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Approximately 3.44 billion tons of copper mine tailings (MT) were produced globally in 2018 with an increase of 45% from 2010. Significant efforts are being made to manage these tailings through storage facilities, recycling, and reuse in different industries. Currently, a large portion of tailings are managed through the tailing storage facilities (TSF) where these tailings undergo hydro-thermal-mechanical stresses with seasonal cycles which are not comprehensively understood. This study presents an investigative study to evaluate the performance of control and cement-stabilized copper MT under the influence of seasonal cycles, freeze-thaw (F-T) and wet-dry (W-D) conditions, representing the seasonal variability in the cold and arid regions. The control and cement-stabilized MT samples were subjected to a maximum of 12 F-T and 12 W-D cycles and corresponding micro-and-macro behavior was investigated through scanning electron microscope (SEM), volumetric strain (epsilon v), wet density (r), moisture content loss, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The results indicated the vulnerability of Copper MT to 67% and 75% strength loss reaching residual states with 12 F-T and 8 W-D cycles, respectively. Whereas the stabilized MT retained 39%-55% and 16%-34% strength with F-T and W-D cycles, demonstrating increased durability. This research highlights the impact of seasonal cycles and corresponding strength-deformation characteristics of control and stabilized Copper MT in cold and arid regions. (c) 2025 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/

The elasto-plastic dynamic response of tunnels surrounded by frozen soil under loads applied to the tunnel invert is investigated in this study. Special attention is paid to the frozen soil in plastic zones around the tunnel in cold regions where anisotropic frost heave occurs. Analytical solutions of displacement and stress distributions in the lining, plastic zone of frozen soil, elastic zone of frozen soil, and unfrozen soil layer under load are derived. Unknown parameters are determined by satisfying continuity and boundary conditions between contact surfaces of different media. The parametric analysis reveals that the radial and circumferential stresses experience the most significant decrease in the plastic zone and at the contact surfaces of different media. The thickness of the frozen soil layer, along with the development of its plastic zone, influences the dynamic response of the frozen soil around the tunnel. Furthermore, variations in soil and lining parameters also have an impact on stress and displacement distributions in each medium. The findings of this study aim to provide valuable insights for the numerical simulation, design, and construction of future tunnels in cold regions.

Alpine vegetation, cold deserts, and glacial landscapes significantly impact runoff generation and convergence in cold and alpine regions. The presence of existing mountain permafrost complicates these impacts further. To better understand the specific regulation of runoff by alpine landscapes, we analyzed the spatiotemporal capacity for runoff generation and the contributions of water from different landscape types within a typical alpine permafrost watershed: the upper reaches of the Shule River (USR) basin in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The analysis was informed by both field observations and simulations using the VIC model, which incorporated a new glacier module. We identified that glaciers, alpine meadows, cold deserts, and barren landscape zones as the four major runoff generation regions, collectively accounting for approximately 95 % of the USR runoff. The runoff depth in each landscape zone was calculated to express its runoff generation capacity, with an order of: glacier > cold desert > barren > alpine grassland > alpine meadow > shrub > swamp meadow. The alpine regions above 4000 m in altitude are the primary runoff generation areas, and the runoff generation capacity gradually decreases from high to low altitudes in the alpine basin. Due to seasonal variations in rainfall distribution, glacier melting, and permafrost thawing-freezing, the dominant landscape types contributing to runoff varied monthly. The simulated results indicate that permafrost plays an important role in runoff generation. Although permafrost degradation had a slight impact on the annual total runoff generated from each landscape zone (not taking into account of ground ice), seasonal runoff generated in each landscape exhibited significant changes in response to permafrost thawing. After permafrost completely thawed in each landscape zone, generated flood flow decreased, while low flow conversely increased, implying an enhanced water retention capacity of alpine landscapes following permafrost degradation. Additionally, the responses of runoff to permafrost changes varied across different alpine landscapes. These findings enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying runoff generation and convergence in cold and alpine watersheds of the Northern Hemisphere.

Increasing greenhouse gas levels drive extensive changes in Arctic and cold-dominated environments, leading to a warmer, more humid, and variable climate. Associated permafrost thaw creates new groundwater flow paths in cold regions that are causing unprecedented environmental changes. This review of recent advances in groundwater research in cold environments has revealed that a new paradigm is emerging where groundwater is at the center of these changes. Groundwater flow and associated heat and solute transport are now used as a basis to understand hydrological changes, permafrost dynamics, water quality, integrity of infrastructure along with ecological impacts. Although major advances have been achieved in cold regions' cryohydrogeological research, the remaining knowledge gaps are numerous. For example, groundwater as a drinking water source is poorly documented despite its social importance. Lateral transport processes for carbon and contaminants are still inadequately understood. Numerical models are improving, but the highly complex physical-ecological changes occurring in the arctic involve coupled thermal, hydrological, hydrogeological, mechanical, and geochemical processes that are difficult to represent and hamper quantitative analysis and limit predictive capacity. Systematic long-term observatories where measurements involving groundwater are considered central are needed to help resolve these research gaps. Innovative transdisciplinary research will be critical to comprehend and predict these complex transformations.

Changing climates are driving population declines in diverse animals worldwide. Winter conditions may play an important role in these declines but are often overlooked. Animals must not only survive winter but also preserve body condition, a key determinant of growing season success. We hypothesized that ectotherms overwintering in soil face a trade-off between risks of cold damage (including freezing) near the surface and elevated energy use at deeper depths. To test this hypothesis, we developed landscapes of mortality risk across depth for overwintering bumble bee queens. These critical pollinators are in decline in part because of climate change, but little is known about how climate affects overwintering mortality. We developed a mechanistic modeling approach combining measurements of freezing points and the temperature dependence of metabolic rates with soil temperatures from across the United States to estimate mortality risk across depth under historic conditions and under several climate change scenarios. Under current conditions, overwintering queens face a Goldilocks effect: temperatures can be too cold at shallow depths because of substantial freezing risk but too hot at deep depths where they risk prematurely exhausting lipid stores. Models suggest that increases in mean temperatures and in seasonal and daily temperature variation will increase risk of overwinter mortality. Better predictions of effects of changing climate on dormant ectotherms require more measurements of physiological responses to temperature during dormancy across diverse taxa.