Monitoring soil cracking using OFDR-based distributed temperature sensing framework

• This study proposes a novel geophysical framework for monitoring field multi-scale soil cracking. • Actively heated fiber-optic (AHFO) method is used for non-destructive detection of soil cracking. • Optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) technique has excellent temperature measurement accuracy. • AH-OFDR framework can produce a clear-cut profile of temperature changes along field cracked soil. • The critical soil crack prediction width threshold within the AH-OFDR framework is 0.30 m. Soil cracking induced by extreme drought represents a widespread natural phenomenon occurring across the earth surface, capable of triggering multiple weakening mechanisms within surface soils, potentially leading to the instability and failure of slopes and agricultural infrastructures. This study proposes an innovative geophysical monitoring framework for detecting field soil cracking by combining the actively heated fiber-optic (AHFO) method and distributed fibre optical sensing (DFOS) based on optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) technique, referred to as AH-OFDR framework. Laboratory calibration tests, field monitoring tests, numerical simulations, and sensitivity analyses were employed to comprehensively evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness, and limitations of the AH-OFDR framework for soil crack monitoring. Laboratory calibration confirmed that the DFOS-OFDR technique achieves a minimum spatial resolution and readout accuracy of 1 mm, along with a temperature measurement accuracy of ±0.1 °C. Field monitoring verified that the AH-OFDR framework can accurately detect soil cracks ranging in width from 0.01 m to 0.12 m. Additionally, numerical simulations not only validated the effectiveness of the AH-OFDR framework across a broader range of crack widths, from 0.01 m to 0.50 m, but also established a quantitative relationship between temperature changes and the spatial distribution of crack positions and widths. Notably, a critical crack width threshold of 0.30 m was identified within the AH-OFDR framework, significantly impacting the prediction of soil crack widths. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the remarkable crack detection capabilities of the AH-OFDR framework, irrespective of the soil crack width and spacing. The AH-OFDR framework holds substantial potential as an innovative and high-resolution observational method for advancing our understanding of diverse geological and hydrogeological processes.