Synthetic liners are effective in frozen-ground conditions because the material is unaffected by temperature changes and provides an effective barrier even when the soil can't. Materials such as RPE and other geomembranes stay flexible at low temperatures, so they are far less likely to crack when the ground expands or contracts during freeze–thaw cycles.
This flexibility helps the liner maintain close contact with the lagoon floor and walls even when the underlying soil shifts. Since frozen ground cannot absorb liquid, any seepage from an unlined structure would move outward quickly, but a synthetic liner prevents that escape and keeps stored manure or wastewater contained.
