Convection in Drying and Freezing Ground

Abstract

In this paper we analyse the drying of a soil composed of particles, water and solute impurities, and study the occurrence of convective instabilities during evaporation. We find that the main driving force for instability is the formation of a concentration gradient at the soil surface due to the evaporation of water. A similar phenomenon may occur during the thawing of frozen ground in Arctic regions.