Freeze-thaw characteristics of seasonal frozen soil in Asian mid-latitude deserts: A case study of typical deserts in northern China

• The features of desert seasonal frozen soil are described for the first time. • There are obvious spatial differences in desert seasonal frozen soil. • Moisture limit significantly influences desert freeze–thaw dynamics in sandy soils. • Moisture content plays a major role in the freezing hardness of sandy soil. Vast deserts and sandy lands in the mid-latitudes cover an area of 17.64 × 10⁶ km 2 , with 6.98 × 10⁶ km 2 experiencing seasonal frozen soil (SFG). Freeze-thaw cycles of SFG significantly influence local surface processes in deserts, impacting meteorological disasters such as infrastructure failures and sandstorms. This study investigates the freeze–thaw dynamics of SFG in crescent dunes from three deserts in northern China: the Tengger Desert, Mu Us Sandy Land, and Ulan Buh Desert, over the period from 2019 to 2024.Freezing occurs from November to January, followed by thawing from January to March. The thawing rate (2.72 cm/day) was 1.8 times higher than the freezing rate (1.48 cm/day). The maximum seasonal freezing depth (MSFD) exceeded 0.80 m at all dune slopes, with depths surpassing 1.10 m at the leeward slope and lower slope positions. Soil moisture content, ranging from 1 % to 1.6 %, is critical for freezing, and this threshold varies depending on the dune’s mechanical composition. The hardness of frozen desert soil is primarily controlled by moisture, along with temperature and particle size.Temperature initiates freezing, while moisture and particle size control the resulting hardness.These findings shed light on the seasonal freeze–thaw processes in desert soils and have practical implications for agricultural management, engineering design, and environmental hazard mitigation in arid regions.