Preserving frozen ground with active cooling under seasonal forcing - an experimental study
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Rising temperatures are thawing mountain permafrost, putting infrastructure like buildings, cable cars, and tunnels at risk. While warming air is the main cause, rainfall at high altitudes also plays an important role. We built a small, portable system to test how active cooling powered by solar panels, can help keep the ground frozen. Experiments showed that rain can sometimes deepen thawing, especially in winter, but in summer under the impact of liquid precipitation it can also briefly refreeze parts of the ground or lead to ground movement. Outdoor tests over six months showed that a solar-powered cooling system can successfully maintain a stable frozen layer. The results suggest that such systems could help protect infrastructure in mountain regions, though managing rainfall effects is crucial. The results are described in the publication: Preserving frozen ground with active cooling under seasonal forcing - an experimental study.