Freeze-Thaw Cycles of Rock and Soil in the Sustainable Ecological Environment and Engineering Safety
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 669
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Freeze–thaw (F-T) cycles significantly impact both ecological stability and engineering safety, especially in cold and high-altitude regions. Under climate change, intensified F-T cycles exacerbate soil erosion, rock weathering, infrastructure degradation, and ecosystem vulnerability. For instance, F-T cycles alter soil structure and induce salt frost in saline soils, threatening road durability and slope stability. Simultaneously, they regulate the physiological responses of desert mosses and soil greenhouse gas emissions, influencing carbon sequestration and biodiversity. Understanding these dual impacts is critical for achieving sustainability goals and balancing ecological resilience with engineering reliability.
This Special Issue aims to explore the mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and sustainable solutions for F-T cycle impacts on ecosystems and engineered systems. Topics may span material science, geotechnical engineering, and ecosystem dynamics. Contributions should advance knowledge on climate-adaptive materials, low-carbon technologies, and ecosystem-based engineering practices. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Long-term ecological impacts of F-T cycles on soil structure and biogeochemical cycles;
- Climate-driven spatiotemporal variations in F-T processes and ecological feedback;
- F-T cycles and carbon–nitrogen dynamics in cold-region ecosystems;
- Land-use change and F-T cycles: Impacts on regional ecological security;
- Mechanisms of F-T-induced deterioration in rock/soil and eco-friendly reinforcement technologies;
- Coupling effects of F-T cycles and salt erosion on infrastructure materials.
Prof. Dr. Xiangtian Xu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- freeze–thaw cycles
- sustainable ecological environment
- engineering safety
- rock/soil deterioration
- climate adaptation
- soil–water–salt dynamics
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
