28 Jul 2025

Predicting Frozen Ground and Thaw Risk from Standard Land Model Output: Data, Algorithms, and GeoWATCH Implementation

Abstract: The Geospatial Weather Affected Terrain Conditions and Hazards (GeoWATCH) tool provides real-time mobility predictions at 30 m resolution on demand for any location on the globe. This tool combines dynamic weather data provided by the Air Force 557 Weather Wing (557WW) with static terrain data to downscale soil moisture from global and regional scales to resolutions better suited for terrain analysis applications. Frozen and thawing ground data layers were recently incorporated into the GeoWATCH framework to better support terrain assessment for Warfighter functions in cold regions. This report documents our approach for diagnosing the frozen and thawing ground data layers and provides examples. First, using data from controlled land-surface model simulations, we established simple curve-fitting formulas relating soil temperature to frozen water content. We then added the new formulas to the GeoWATCH code so that end users can generate frozen soil products on demand. Finally, GeoWATCH uses the resultant frozen soil product with a series of soil layers to determine the risk of actively thawing soil and springtime mud conditions. While the new overlays are not integrated into the GeoWATCH mobility diagnostic calculations, they provide insight into soil state conditions critical for operations and weather-based risk assessment in cold regions.

2 Jul 2025

Remote Detection of Soil Shear Strength in Arctic and Subarctic Environments

Abstract: Soil shear strength affects many military activities and is affected significantly by plant roots. Unfortunately, root contribution to soil shear strength is difficult to measure and predict. In the boreal forest ecosystem, soil and hydrologic dynamics make soil shear strength less predictable, while the need for prediction grows due to the rapid changes occurring in this environment. Our current study objectives are to (1) observe possible aboveground vegetation indicators of soil shear strength variation across soils and other environmental heterogeneity, (2) observe possible image-based indicators of soil shear strength variation, and (3) identify the best remote-sensing data source for predicting soil shear strength variation. A total of 65 sites were sampled from a diversity of soil and vegetation types across interior Alaska and Ontario, Canada. Ground-collected data were analyzed to develop a predictive model, while a similar approach was undertaken with Sentinel-2 imagery. Results indicate that both ground-collected data and satellite imagery can reasonably predict boreal forest soil shear strength, with satellite imagery providing the higher predictive ability. A comparison of 10 m Sentinel-2 and submeter Maxar imagery indicated that Sentinel-2 provides a better prediction of soil shear strength.

12 Mar 2025

Collaborative Development of Natural and Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resiliency in the Arctic and Adjacent Regions: A Workshop

The workshop “Collaborative Development of Natural and Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Resiliency in the Arctic and Adjacent Regions” was held in Reston, Virginia, October 24–25, 2023. The objective was to assemble diverse international partners in a hybrid in-person and virtual setting to focus on the viability of applying Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) to solve engineering challenges in the Arctic and similar cold region locations. The goals of the two-day workshop were to share recent efforts implementing NBS to mitigate coastal hazards such as flooding and erosion in northern high latitude settings and identify requirements and develop a robust program of activities to advance this work at national, regional, and local levels. This workshop report documents the presentations and discussion and summarizes key needs and recommendations for future engagement identified by speakers and workshop participants.

6 Mar 2025

New Construction Criteria for a Changing Arctic and Subarctic: The UFC 3-130 Series Revision Process

Abstract: The DoD operates significant and strategically important installations in the Arctic and Subarctic domain. Geopolitical, economic, and climatic changes require an upgraded ability to rapidly deploy and sustain forces into Arctic and Subarctic regions. Relevant engineering criteria and guidance to support these efforts are the Unified Facility Criteria 3-130–Arctic and Subarctic Construction (UFC 3-130) documents, originally a seven-volume series. The series has been ‘inactive’, indicating the specifications are not current and potentially technically noncompliant. Therefore, designers may resort to methods that do not meet current military or civilian standards, or they may use the outdated guidance leading to costly design and construction failures. Infrastructure owners and operators must be confident that up-to-date technology and criteria are specified to ensure life safety, mission readiness, and infrastructure longevity. This report highlights the process and resources used to generate a new five-volume UFC Arctic and Subarctic series that aligns with current technology and standards while also addressing a changing climate. These new documents are appliable for use by planners, engineers, and architects when planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining DoD infrastructure. The full UFC 3-130 series is available on the Whole Building Design Guide (WBDG) website at https://www.wbdg.org/dod/ufc.

2 Feb 2024

Extreme Cold Weather Airfield Damage Repair Testing at Goose Bay Air Base, Canada

Abstract: Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery (RADR) technologies have proven successful in temperate and subfreezing temperatures but have not been evaluated in extreme cold weather temperatures near 0°F. To address this capability gap, laboratory-scale and full-scale testing was conducted at these temperatures. Methods developed for moderate climates were adapted and demonstrated alongside methods that used snow harvested on-site as compacted backfill. After only a few days of training, seven experimental repairs were conducted by Canadian airmen at Goose Bay Air Base in Labrador, Canada, and load tested with a single-wheel C-17 load cart. Existing RADR technologies performed adequately despite the freezing temperatures, with the main tactic, techniques, and procedures modification being an increased cure time for the rapid-setting concrete surface material. Compacted snow-water slurry methods also performed well, demonstrating their ability to withstand over 500 passes of single-wheel C-17 traffic after sufficient freezing time.

17 Nov 2023

Advancing Engineering With Nature Initiatives in Point Hope, Alaska

Purpose: Growing environmental risk threatens communities in cold regions, particularly as climate change contributes to permafrost thaw, a reduction in sea-ice extent, and some of the largest rates of coastal erosion on earth. In the context of these significant and growing risks, the Engineering With Nature® (EWN®) program formed its cold regions work unit in 2021 to explore the potential to apply EWN approaches in these areas to mitigate environmental risk while supporting resilient outcomes. The work unit’s objectives include working with communities to preserve the natural environment and traditions, advancing the work unit’s understanding of cold-region environments, and providing guidance on the implementation of natural and nature-based features (NNBF) and EWN in cold regions to increase resilience. This technical note (TN) provides an overview of the EWN in cold regions technical approach as applied to Point Hope, Alaska, which includes community engagement, the integration of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) throughout the project, and the development of cold-regions-specific knowledge and tools.

29 Sep 2023

Microbial Activity in Dust-Contaminated Antarctic Snow

Abstract: During weather events, particles can accumulate on the snow near the Pegasus ice and Phoenix compacted-snow Runways at the US McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The deposited particles melt into the surface, initially forming steep-sided holes, which can widen into patches of weak and rotten snow and ice. These changes negatively impact the ice and snow runways and snow roads trafficked by vehicles. To understand the importance of microbes on this process, we examined deposited dust particles and their microbial communities in snow samples collected near the runways. Snow samples were analyzed at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory where we performed a respiration study to measure the microbial activity during a simulated melt, isolated microorganisms, examined particle-size distribution, and performed 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We measured higher levels of carbon dioxide production from a sample containing more dust than from a sample containing less dust, a finding consistent with viable dust-associated microbial communities. Additionally, eleven microorganisms were isolated and cultured from snow samples containing dust particles. While wind patterns and satellite images suggest that the deposited particles originate from nearby Black Island, comparisons of the particle size and chemical composition were inconclusive.

28 Sep 2023

Incorporating Advanced Snow Microphysics and Lateral Transport into the Noah-Multiparameterization (Noah-MP) Land Surface Model

Abstract: The dynamic state of the land surface presents challenges and opportunities for military and civil operations in extreme cold environments. In particular, the effects of snow and frozen ground on Soldier and vehicle mobility are hard to overstate. Current authoritative weather and land models are run at global scales (i.e., dx > 10 km) and are of limited use at the Soldier scale (dx < 100 m). Here, we describe several snow physics upgrades made to the Noah-Multiparameterization (Noah-MP) community land surface model (LSM). These upgrades include a blowing snow overlay to simulate the lateral redistribution of snow by the wind and the addition of new prognostic snow microstructure variables, namely grain size and bond radius. These additions represent major upgrades to the snow component of the Noah-MP LSM because they incorporate processes and methods used in more specialized snow modeling frameworks. These upgrades are demonstrated in idealized and real-world applications. The test simulations were promising and show that the newly added snow physics replicate observed behavior with reasonable accuracy. We hope these upgrades facilitate ongoing and future research on characterizing the effects of the integrated snow and soil land surface in extreme cold environments at the tactical scale.

13 Sep 2023

Cold Impacts on Vehicle Electrical Systems: Developing a Baseline for Cold Testing Military Vehicles

Abstract: Low temperatures can significantly affect vehicle operation. While many of the effects, like increased fluid viscosity and decreased battery capacity, are well documented, the impacts on the electrical system as a whole are not. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of temperature on the electrical systems of select military vehicles and to develop a baseline for future testing. A High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), a Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), and a four-person diesel Polaris MRZR D4 were subjected to 15°C, 0°C, and −15°C temperatures while the loads on the battery and alternator were monitored. The HMMWV and MRZR were able to start on the first try for all tests. They both showed a slight increase in vehicle load current draw from the alternator as temperatures decreased. Future testing with more iterations and at lower temperatures will help identify clearer trends and improve testing procedures. As the Army becomes more reliant on electronic systems, it is becoming increasingly important that we understand how various climates will impact them.

11 Aug 2023

International Workshop on Cold Regions Defense Infrastructure: 13–15 September 2022, Hanover, New Hampshire

Abstract: The Inaugural International Workshop on Cold Regions Defense Infrastructure united engineers and scientists of the US Department of Defense with defense representatives from the other nations comprising the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR): Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and New Zealand. Through the ICE-PPR Memorandum of Understanding, Project Arrangements (PAs) enable the seven nations to share measurements, models, and access to research sites and facilities. The goal of the workshop was to work as a coherent team to identify needs and develop PAs for three major topic areas: infrastructure, water/wastewater, and energy. Increasing interest in earth’s polar regions necessitates identifying capabilities and gaps for these critical mission-relevant topic areas.