The Influence of Freeze–Thaw Process on the Dynamic Changes in Body Weight and Metal in Groundwater of Seasonal Frozen Lakes: Experimental Study and Model Simulation

TL;DR

This study examines how freezing and thawing in lakes affect heavy metal concentrations in groundwater, using Wuliangsuhai Lake in northern China as a case study.

Contribution

A new numerical model is developed to describe the spatiotemporal distribution of heavy metals under lake ice during freezing periods.

Findings

Heavy metal content in sub-ice water increases with ice thickness during freezing.

A numerical model accurately simulates the spatiotemporal distribution of heavy metals with small error.

Measured and simulated heavy metal distribution trends show consistency.

Abstract

To investigate the changes in heavy metal content in the sub glacial water during the freezing and thawing process of seasonally frozen lakes, the Wuliangsuhai Lake in northern China was taken as the research object. The ice thickness, water depth, and heavy metal content at different depths of the lake were measured during the freezing and thawing periods. Based on a large amount of measured lake heavy metal data, MATLAB 2022b software is used to model data fitting and optimization identification, and wavelet analysis and 24 h sliding average method are used for verification analysis to describe the variation process of heavy metal concentration in ice water with depth and time. The results show that during the freezing and thawing periods of lakes, the water level is constantly changing, but the heavy metal content in the water below the ice follows the same distribution with water depth. During the freezing process, the heavy metal content in the water increases with the increase in ice thickness. A new numerical model describing the spatiotemporal distribution of heavy metals under the ice during the freezing period of the lake was obtained through calculation. The overall trend of the simulated contour lines is consistent with the measured values and has a small error. This study provides a reference for predicting the changes in heavy metal content under the ice cover during the freezing period in cold and arid regions. The model can be used to simulate the content values of heavy metals at different depths and times.

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