Morphology and physical properties of soil material in cryogenic cracks of permafrost-affected meadow-chernozemic soils of the Trans-Baikal Region

Meadow-chernozemic soils (Turbic Chernozems Molliglossic) in the western Trans-Baikal Region are dissected by large cryogenic cracks penetrating to the depth of 100–120 cm and filled with humified material. The depth of humus pockets is 50–80 cm, and their width in the upper part is 50–90 cm. The lower boundary of most of the humus pockets lies at the depth of 60–70 cm. The development of cryogenic cracks proceeded due to their penetration into the frozen ground, which is evidenced by their sharply narrowing lower part. The fraction of physical clay (<0.01 mm) constitutes a considerable part of the material filling the cracks, which explains the significant humus content in this material. The contents of humus and adsorbed bases sharply decrease down through the soil profile in the soil mass between the cracks and remain relatively stable in the material filling the cracks. The soil mass in humus pockets is less compact that that in the background soil mass at the same depth, which is explained by the higher humus content in the pockets. Humified soil material in the pockets is also characterized by a higher porosity and, hence, higher water permeability than the surrounding soil mass.