The characteristics of rill development and their effects on runoff and sediment yield under different slope gradients

Rill formation is the predominant erosion process in slope land in the Loess Plateau, China. This study was conducted to investigate rill erosion characteristics and their effects on runoff and sediment yielding processes under different slope gradients at a rate of 10°, 15°, 20° and 25° with rainfall intensity of 1.5 mm min-1 in a laboratory setting. Results revealed that mean rill depth and rill density has a positive interrelation to the slope gradient. To the contrary, width-depth ratio and distance of the longest rill to the top of the slope negatively related to slope gradient. All these suggested that increasing slope steepness could enhance rill headward erosion, vertical erosion and the fragmentation of the slope surface. Furthermore,total erosion tended to approach a stable maximum value with increasing slope, which implied that there is probably a threshold slope gradient where soil erosion begins to weaken. At the same time, the correlation analysis showed that there was a close connection between slope gradient and the variousindices of soil erosion: the correlation coefficients of slope gradient with maximal rill depth, number of rills and the distance of the longest rill from the top of the slope were 0.98, 0.97 and-0.98, respectively,indicating that slope gradient is the major factor of affecting the development of rills. Furthermore,runoff was not sensitive to slope gradient and rill formation in this study. Sediment concentration,however, is positively related to slope gradient and rill formation, the sediment concentrations increased rapidly after rill initiation, especially. These results may be essential for soil loss prediction.     

Assessment of Rill Erosion Development during Erosive Storms at Angereb Watershed,Lake Tana Sub-basin in Ethiopia

Application of simple and locally based erosion assessment methods that fit to the local condition is necessary to improve the performance and efficiency of soil conservation practices. In this study, rill erosion formation and development was investigated on the topo-sequence of three catchments(300-500 m slope length); and on agricultural fields(6 m and 14 m slope lengths) with different crop-tillage surfaces during erosive storms.Rill density and rill erosion rates were measured using rill cross section survey and close range digital photogrammetry. Rill formation and development was commonly observed on conditions where there is wider terrace spacing, concave slope shapes and unstable stone terraces on steep slopes. At field plot level, rill development was controlled by the distribution and abrupt change in the soil surface roughness and extent of slope length. At catchment scale, however, rill formation and development was controlled by landscape structures, and concavity and convexity of the slope. Greater rill cross sections and many small local rills were associated to the rougher soil surfaces. For instance, relative comparison of crop tillage practices have showed that faba-beantillage management was more susceptible to seasonal rill erosion followed by Teff and wheat tillage surfaces under no cover condition. Surface roughness and landscape structures played a net decreasing effect on the parallel rill network development. This implies that spatial and temporal variability of the rill prone areas was strongly associated with the nature and initial size of surface micro-topography or tillage roughness. Thus, it is necessary to account land management practices, detail micro-topographic surfaces and landscape structures for improved prediction of rill prone areas under complex topographic conditions. Application of both direct rill cross section survey and close range digital photogrammetric techniques could enhance field erosion assessment for practical soil conservation improvement.     

A review on rill erosion process and its influencing factors

Rills are frequently observed on slope farmlands and rill erosion significantly contributes to sediment yields. This paper focuses on reviewing the various factors affecting rill erosion processes and the threshold conditions of rill initiation. Six factors, including rainfall, runoff, soil, topography, vegetation and tillage system, are discussed. Rill initiation and network are explored. Runoff erosivity and soil erodibility are recognized as two direct factors affecting rill erosion and other types of factors may have indirect influences on rill erosion through increasing or decreasing the effects of the direct factors. Certain conditions are necessary for rill initiation and the critical conditions are different with different factors. Future studies should be focused on 1) the dynamic changes of rill networks; 2) the combined effect of multiple factors; and 3) the relationships of threshold values with other related factors.     

Rainfall and inflow effects on soil erosion for hillslopes dominated by sheet erosion or rill erosion in the Chinese Mollisol region

Erosion agents and patterns profoundly affect hillslope soil loss characteristics. However, few attempts have been made to analyze the effects of rainfall and inflow on soil erosion for hillslopes dominated by sheet erosion or rill erosion in the Chinese Mollisol region. The objective of this study was to discuss the erosive agent(rainfall or inflow), hillslope erosion pattern(sheet erosion or rill erosion) and slope gradient effects on runoff and soil losses. Two soil pans(2.0 m long, 0.5 m wide and 0.5 m deep) with 5° and 10° slopes were subjected to rainfall(0 and 70 mm h–1) and inflow(0 and 70 mm h–1) experiments. Three experimental combinations of rainfall intensity(RI) and inflow rate(IR) were tested using the same water supply of 70 mm by controllingthe run time. A flat soil surface and a soil bed with a straight initial rill were prepared manually, and represented hillslopes dominated by sheet erosion and rill erosion, respectively. The results showed that soil losses had greater differences among treatments than total runoff. Soil losses decreased in the order of RI70+IR70 RI70+IR0 RI0+IR70. Additionally, soil losses for hillslopes dominated by rill erosion were 1.7-2.2 times greater at 5° and 2.5-6.9 times greater at 10° than those for hillslopes dominated by sheet erosion. The loss of 0.25 mm soil particles and aggregates varying from 47.72%-99.60% of the total soil loss played a dominant role in the sediment. Compared with sheet erosion hillslopes, rill erosion hillslopes selectively transported more microaggregates under a relatively stable rill development stage, but rills transported increasinglymore macroaggregates under an active rill development stage. In conclusion, eliminating raindrop impact on relatively gentle hillslopes and preventing rill development on relatively steep hillslopes would be useful measures to decrease soil erosion and soil degradation in the Mollisol region of northeastern China.     

Assessment of agri-spillways as a soil erosion protection measure in Mediterranean sloping vineyards

Suitable vineyard soils enhance soil stability and biodiversity which in turn protects roots against erosion and nutrient losses. There is a lack of information related to inexpensive and suitable methods and tools to protect the soil in Mediterranean sloping vineyards(25° of slope inclination). In the vineyards of the Montes de Málaga(southern Spain), a sustainable land management practice that controls soil erosion is actually achieved by tilling rills in the down-slope direction to canalize water and sediments. Because of their design and use, we call them agri-spillways. In this research, we assessed two agri-spillways(between 10 m and 15 m length, and slopes between 25.8° and 35°) by performing runoff experiments under extreme conditions(a motor driven pump that discharged water flows up to 1.33 l s~(-1) for 12 to 15 minutes: ≈1000 l). The final results showed: i) a great capacity by these rills to canalize large amounts of water and sediments; and, ii) higher water flow speeds(between 0.16 m s-1 and 0.28 m s~(-1)) and sediment concentrationrates(up to 1538.6 g l~(-1)) than typically found in other Mediterranean areas and land uses(such as badlands, rangelands or extensive crops of olives and almonds). The speed of water flow and the sediment concentration were much higher in the shorter and steeper rill. We concluded that agri-spillways, given correct planning and maintenance, can be a potential solution as an inexpensive method to protect the soil in sloping Mediterranean vineyards.     

The siltation of debris flow behind check dam in the midstream of Bailong River

Siltation gradient and siltation length are important parameters for designing gravity check dams for debris flows, which directly affect the accuracy of estimates of interception capacity. At present, siltation gradient calculations are based primarily on empirical values, and range from 0.4 to 0.95 times the channel slope coefficient. The middle reaches of the Bailong River are one of the four areas in China that are most severely affected by debris flow hazards. Gravity dams are widely employed in this mountainous area. However, field studies of their capacity are lacking. In this paper, the operations of check dams were investigated. Based on field investigation results and theoretical analysis, calculations for siltation gradient, siltation length, and dam storage capacity are established. The impact of debris flow density, channel slope, and particle size weight percentages are discussed. The calculations show that the theoretical values for siltation gradient are consistent with measured values with 83.6% accuracy; and theoretical values of siltation length are consistent with measured values with 91.6% accuracy. The results of this research are an important reference for optimal height and spacing of dams, estimation of dam storage capacity, and disaster prevention.     

Uncertainty of slope length derived from digital elevation models of the Loess Plateau,China

Although many studies have investigated slope gradient uncertainty derived from Digital Elevation Models（DEMs）, the research concerning slope length uncertainty is far from mature. This discrepancy affects the availability and accuracy of soil erosion as well as hydrological modeling. This study investigates the formation and distribution of existing errors and uncertainties in slope length derivation based on 5-m resolution DEMs of the Loess Plateau in the middle of China. The slope length accuracy in three different landform areas is examined to analyse algorithm effects. The experiments indicate that the accuracy of the flat test area is lower than that of the rougher areas. The value from the specific contributing area（SCA） method is greater than the cumulative slope length（CSL）, and the differences between these two methods arise from the shape of the upslope area. The variation of mean slope length derived from various DEM resolutions and landforms. The slope length accuracy decreases with increasing grid size and terrain complexity at the six test sites. A regression model is built to express the relationship of mean slope length with DEM resolution less than 85 m and terrain complexity represented by gully density. The results support the understanding of the slope length accuracy, thereby aiding in the effective evaluation of the modeling effect of surface process.     

Land use and land cover change on slope in Qiandongnan prefecture of Southwest China

This study uses DEM(Digital Elevation Model) data and remote sensing maps of the study area in 1993, 1999, and 2009 to analyze the slope gradient change of land use patterns in Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou province, China. The land use data were classified into five types, forest, farmland, grassland, water and built-up, the slope gradients were divided into four grades. Indices for analyzing land use features were defined by their proportions, transformation matrixes, land use degree and changes.The results showed that all land use types can be found at every gradient. Generally, with the slope degree increased, the area of forest being augmented as well, while the area of the other land use types(farmland, grassland and build-up) declined. Moreover, a mass of farmland were shifted from other land use types from 0° to 25°, while a quantity of forest were transformed from the other land use types on 25° from 1993 to 2009. In terms of land use degree and changes, the area of farmland and buildup land use types decreased when slope degree increased. Finally, we calculated the five landscape pattern metrics: Patch Density(PD) value, Largest Patch Index(LPI), Shannon's Diversity Index(SHDI), Area-Weighted Mean Shape Index(AWMSI) and Contagion Index(CONTAG). The results of metricsanalysis showed that PD values, SHDI values and CONTA values had a similar variation trend, that is, they decreased when slope degree increased. There was no obvious variation trend on LPI value.     

Land use intensity dynamics in the Andhikhola watershed,middle hill of Nepal

Land use intensity is a valuable concept to understand integrated land use system, which is unlike the traditional approach of analysis that often examines one or a few aspects of land use disregarding multidimensionality of the intensification process in the complex land system. Land use intensity is based on an integrative conceptual framework focusing on both inputs to and outputs from the land. Geographers' non-stationary data-analysis technique is very suitable for most of the spatial data analysis. Our study was carried out in the northeast part of the Andhikhola watershed lying in the Middle Hills of Nepal, where over the last two decades, heavy loss of labor due to outmigration of rural farmers and increasing urbanization in the relatively easy accessible lowland areas has caused agricultural land abandonment. Our intention in this study was to ascertain factors of spatial pattern of intensity dynamism between human and nature relationships in the integrated traditional agricultural system. High resolution aerial photo and multispectral satellite image were used to derive data on land use and land cover. In addition, field verification, information collected from the field and census report were other data sources. Explanatory variables were derived from those digital and analogue data. Ordinary Least Square(OLS) technique was used for filtering of the variables. Geographically Weighted Regression(GWR) model was used to identify major determining factors of land use intensity dynamics. Moran's I technique was used for model validation. GWR model was executed to identify the strength of explanatory variables explaining change of land use intensity. Accordingly, 10 variables were identified having the greatest strength to explain land use intensity change in the study area, of which physical variables such as slope gradient, temperature and solar radiation revealed the highest strength followed by variables of accessibility and natural resource. Depopulation in recent decades has been a major driver of land use intensity change but spatial variability of land use intensity was highly controlled by physical suitability, accessibility and availability of natural resources.     

泥质砂岩残积土边坡降雨冲刷特性

泥质砂岩残积土作为一种结构性很强的特殊土, 具有崩解性强、抗冲蚀性差以及扰动性极大的特点, 对工程建设有较大影响。为了探究泥质砂岩残积土边坡降雨冲刷机理, 设计了边坡降雨冲刷试验, 通过现场三维激光扫描技术测试分析了其表面冲刷效应; 利用高密度电法进一步明确了泥质砂岩残积土边坡的入渗特性、表面冲刷演化机制及冲刷破坏机理。结果表明: 冲刷试验的最初阶段, 降水入渗强且主要向坡脚处运移, 坡表未形成明显的细沟; 冲刷试验中期, 坡脚处土体最先达到饱和而形成坡面径流, 细沟贯通扩大形成小规模冲槽以及片蚀区; 冲刷试验后期, 坡面中部和坡脚处土体冲蚀严重, 坡脚处的冲槽向上部延伸, 片蚀区扩大, 导致表层土体结构发生变化, 渗透性差异明显; 泥质砂岩残积土坡体降雨冲刷主要划分为表层溅蚀、下层潜蚀和细沟贯通3个阶段, 坡面土体流失主要发生在最后一个阶段, 细沟率达到最高值16.9%, 细沟贯通率也高达0.74。研究结果可以为深入探讨泥质砂岩残积土边坡冲蚀防护和研究冲蚀防护机理提供基础资料。      

Early warning model for slope debris flow initiation

Early warning model of debris flow is important for providing local residents with reliable and accurate warning information to escape from debris flow hazards. This research studied the debris flow initiation in the Yindongzi gully in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan province, China with scaled-down model experiments. We set rainfall intensity and slope angle as dominating parameters and carried out 20 scaled-down model tests under artificial rainfall conditions. The experiments set four slope angles(32°, 34°, 37°, 42°) and five rainfall intensities(60 mm/h, 90 mm/h, 120 mm/h, 150 mm/h, and 180 mm/h) treatments. The characteristic variables in the experiments, such as, rainfall duration, pore water pressure, moisture content, surface inclination, and volume were monitored. The experimental results revealed the failure mode of loose slope material and the process of slope debris flow initiation, as well as the relationship between the surface deformation and the physical parameters of experimental model. A traditional rainfall intensity-duration early warning model(I-D model) was firstly established by using a mathematical regression analysis, and it was then improved into ISD model and ISM model(Here, I is rainfall Intensity, S is Slope angle, D is rainfall Duration, and M is Moisture content). The warning model can provide reliable early warning of slope debris flow initiation.     

Assessment of soil erosion by compensatory hoeing tillage in a purple soil

This study explores the role of a traditional tillage method,i.e.,compensatory hoeing,for sustainable agro-ecosystem management in the hilly areas of the Chongqing municipality,south-western China.To validate the effects of compensatory tillage on the terraced slopes,the tillage method of noncompensatory hoeing was conducted on a linear slope.To acquire information about 137 Cs inventories and soil texture,soil samples were collected by a core sampler with a 6.8-cm diameter at 5.0-m intervals along the toposequence and the linear slope in the dry season(March) of 2007.Meanwhile,a tillage erosion model was used for evaluating the spatial pattern of tillage erosion.The 137 Cs data showed that on the terraced slope,soil was lost from the upper slope,and soil deposition occurred at the toe slope positions on each terrace.As a result,abrupt changes in the 137 Cs inventories of soil were found over short distances between two sides of terrace boundaries.Results obtained from the tillage erosion model and the 137 Cs data indicate that soil redistribution mainly results from tillage erosion in the terraced landscape.Consecutive non-compensatory tillage caused soil redistribution on the linear slope,resulting in thin soil profile disappearing at the top and soil accumulating at the bottom positions of the linear slope.This result further validates that compensatory tillage could avoid the complete erosion of the thin soil layer at the summit position.Therefore,this traditional tillage.method,i.e.,compensatory tillage,has maintained the soil quality at the summit of the slope in the past decades.     

Experimental study of entrainment behavior of debris flow over channel inflexion points

On-spot observation and field reconnaissance of debris flows have revealed that inflexion points in the longitudinal profile of a movable channel may easily become unstable points that significantly affect their entrainment behavior. In this study, small-scale flume experiments were performed to investigate the entrainment characteristics of debris flows over two types of inflexion points, namely, a convex point, which has an upslope gradient that is less than the downslope gradient; and a concave point, which has an upslope gradient that is greater than the downslope gradient. It was observed that when debris flowed over a convex point, the entrainment developed gradually and progressively from the convex point in the downstream direction, and the primary control factors were the slope gradient and friction angle. Conversely, when debris flowed over a concave point, the entrainment was characterized by impacting and impinging erosion rather than traditional hydraulic erosion, and the impingement angle of the flow significantly determined the maximum erosion depth and outflow exit angle. An empirical relationship between the topography change and the control factors was obtained from the experimental data.     

A new rainwater harvesting and recycling system for transforming sloping land into terraced farmland

Transforming sloping land into terraced land is an effective approach to cope with the problems including farmland shortage and severe soil erosion.This paper introduces a new system based on rainwater harvesting and recycling technology,which may effectively improve farmland productivity rainwater use efficiency and reduce water and fertilizer inputs.The new system consists of three subsystems：1） A plough layer with the dual function of crop cultivation and rainwater harvesting; 2） A tank below the plough layer for storing water; 3） An irrigation-drainage subsystem.The plough layer and the storage tank,both treated for reducing seepage,are connected through the irrigation and drainage system.Results showed that,compared with the traditional paddy fields,rice evapotranspiration（ and crop coefficient） in the test field remained at a similar level,while the irrigation amount was reduced by 44.3% under the condition of basin irrigation,and the drainage amount decreased by 86.6%,and the non-point source pollution was reduced to 67.7%~87.9%,and the rainwater utilization efficiency increased by 30% and reached 95.4%,and crop yield of middle-season rice reached 9,975 kg/hm2,which was only 0.4% lower than that in the traditional paddy field in the terms of dry matter.The new technology sheds light on new possibilities for transformation of hilly sloping land.     

Using LIDAR and ground truth for landslide recognition and characterization of geotechnical and morphological parameters in sedimentary rocks,a case study in Northern Bavaria (Germany)

The use of LIDAR-derived shaded relief maps led to the identification of all potential landslide areas in a hilly region in Northern Bavaria (1590 km²), Germany. Every possible structure was investigated by field investigation which resulted in a detailed database of 1002 landslides within the study area. The analysis of geological, lithological, topographical and morphological properties (spatial ratio, lithological and geological setting, length/width distribution, material properties and slope angle) revealed characteristic appearances of the landslides and possible relationships between different aspects. Strong relations between the lithological setting, spatial ratio of the mapped landslides and distribution of slope angle could be observed. This study shows the value of high-resolution shaded relief maps for detecting and mapping landslides in a large area with comparatively little work and time in comparison to the traditional approach to mapping. It reveals that many landslides were not known before. Landslides are much more common in Northern Bavaria and have a higher influence on the denudation rate of the Franconian Alb than expected before.     

Development of a preliminary slope stability calculation method based on internal horizontal displacements

This paper proposes a horizontal displacement-based approach to determine the potential slip surface of the slope. Firstly, a group of in-situ inclinometers with an appropriate spacing in the horizontal direction is located in the model slope. The equation of horizontal displacement with time for each in-situ inclinometer is fitted during the whole simulation process. Furthermore, the intersection of each inclinometer with potential slip surface is determined by using an optimization model. The slip surface can be obtained by using least square fitting method. Finally, the feasibility and accuracy of the method are validated by a series of numerical simulations. It is noted that the optimization model taking the maximum value of displacement increment gradient as an objective has higher accuracy when compared with other optimization models. This method employed in this study provides a preliminary approach to determine the real-time slope stability based on displacement, which can also be measured by using conventional instruments on site.     

High slope stability of diversion power system intake of Jinchuan hydropower station

The excavated height of the left bank slope of the diversion power system intake in Jinchuan hydropower station is about 16o m. The stability and safety of the slope during construction and its operation/utilization become one of the most important geological engineering problems. At the same time, it is also crucial to select a safe and economic excavation gradient for the construction. We studied the problem of how to select a safe and economic slope ratio by analyzing the geological condition of the high slope, including the lithology, slope structure, structural surface and their combinations, rock weathering and unloading, hydrology, and the natural gradient. The study results showed that the use of an excavation gradient larger than the gradient observed during site investigation and the gradient recommended in standards and field practice manuals is feasible. Then, we used the finite element method and rigid limit equilibrium method to evaluate the stability of the excavation slope under natural, rainstorm and earthquake conditions. The calculated results showed that the excavated slope only has limited failure, but its stability is greatly satisfactory. The research findings can be useful in excavation and slope stabilization projects.     

Commentary on “Experimental study on the moving characteristics of fine grains in wide grading unconsolidated soil under heavy rainfall” by CUI Yi-fei,ZHOU Xiao-jun and GUO Chao-xu

A paper, which was recently published in Journal of Mountain Science by Cui et al. (2017), reported a series of laboratory flume experiments designed to illuminate the moving characteristics of fine particles for wide grading unconsolidated soils by considering three factors, slope gradient, rainfall duration and rainfall intensity. This commentary is prompted to further provide some viewpoints about the fine particle migration phenomenon during landslide initiation and offer some recommendations as the future research focus for better understanding the related processes.     

Rolling motion behavior of rockfall on gentle slope: an experimental approach

The effects of slope surface material, slope gradient, block shape, and block mass conditions on rockfall rolling velocity were estimated with orthogonal test approach. Visual analysis shows that the importance of the factors is slope surface material > slope gradient > block shape > block mass. All the factors except block mass have the F value greater than the critical value, suggesting that these three factors are the key factors affecting the rockfall rolling velocity. Factor interaction analysis shows that the effect of the slope gradient relies largely on the slope surface conditions, and the block shape has little influence if the slope gradient is larger than a critical value. An empirical model considering the three key factors is proposed to estimate the rolling velocity, of which the error is limited to 5% of the testing value. This model is validated by 73 field tests, and the prediction shows excellent correlation with the site test. Thus, this analysis can be used as a tool in the rockfall behavior analysis.     

Landslide susceptibility assessment of the region affected by the 25 April 2015 Gorkha earthquake of Nepal

Nepal was hit by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on 25^th April, 2015. The main shock and many large aftershocks generated a large number of coseismic landslips in central Nepal. We have developed a landslide susceptibility map of the affected region based on the coseismic landslides collected from remotely sensed data and fieldwork, using bivariate statistical model with different landslide causative factors. From the investigation, it is observed that most of the coseismic landslides are independent of previous landslides. Out of 3,716 mapped landslides, we used 80% of them to develop a susceptibility map and the remaining 20% were taken for validating the model. A total of 11 different landslide-influencing parameters were considered. These include slope gradient, slope aspect, plan curvature, elevation, relative relief, Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA), distance from epicenters of the mainshock and major aftershocks, lithology, distance of the landslide from the fault, fold, and drainage line. The success rate of 87.66% and the prediction rate of 86.87% indicate that the model is in good agreement between the developed susceptibility map and the existing landslides data. PGA, lithology, slope angle and elevation have played a major role in triggering the coseismic mass movements. This susceptibility map can be used for relocating the people in the affected regions as well as for future land development.