RainFrozenSlope: Experimental Dataset on Thermo-Hydraulic Water Infiltration into Frozen Slopes with Macropores (Version 1.1)

This dataset contains results from nine controlled large-scale laboratory experiments investigating thermo-hydraulic water infiltration into (partly) frozen, macroporous soil under varying initial conditions. The experiments were conducted within the framework of the DFG project “Thermohydraulic Processes during Water Infiltration into Frozen Soil with Implications for Geohazards under a Changing Climate” (RainSnowSoil) at the Laboratory of Hydromechanics and Hydraulic Engineering, Universität der Bundeswehr München.

The experimental setup consists of a thermally insulated soil box equipped with dense sensor grids for temperature (type T thermocouples) and volumetric water content (capacitance based) monitoring across the entire soil volume. Each experiment records the temporal evolution of soil temperature, soil moisture, surface runoff, and drainage discharge, together with water inflow rate and temperature.

The dataset covers nine scenarios, including (i) two unfrozen reference experiments at low volumetric water content (VWC) and (ii) seven experiments under frozen conditions with or without artificial macropores and at two initial VWCs. The macroporous high-VWC scenario was repeated twice to assess experimental reproducibility. All frozen-state experiments include a preceding freezing phase conducted with the soil box in a horizontal position, followed by an irrigation phase with the soil box tilted at 10° to simulate a natural slope.

Measured variables comprise spatially distributed temperature and moisture data (80 measurement points within the soil body), precipitation input, surface runoff, drainage flow, and corresponding cumulative water balances. The dataset also includes calibration measurements obtained via oven-drying for independent validation of sensor-based volumetric water content and the measured inflow water temperature.

Together, these data provide a unique basis for process analysis, model calibration, and validation of coupled thermo-hydraulic models of water infiltration and runoff in frozen soils with preferential flow paths.

It is recommended to download the dataset as a single compressed .zip archive. The dataset is structured into three main directories: processed_data, raw_data, and calibration_data. Use of the processed_data folder is strongly advised for scientific analyses and publication. Within processed_data, a detailed README file explains all variables, file structures, and measurement series included in the dataset.