Effects of gully erosion and gully filling on soil degradation in the black soil region of Northeast China

Gully erosion has caused soil degradation and even reduced soil productivity.However,only few studies on the effects of gully erosion and artificial controlling measures on soil degradation in the Black Soil Region of Northeast China are available.Thus,this study explores the relationships between gully erosion,gully filling and soil parameters.Two sets of soil samples were collected in the field at:(1) 72 sample points in the gully erosion study area,60 sample points in the ephemeral and classical gully erosion area(3,518 m2),12 sample points in the deposition zone(443 m2),(2)10 reference points along a slope unaffected by gully erosion representing the original situation before the gully was formed.All soil samples were analyzed for gravel content(GC),soil organic matter(SOM),total nitrogen(TN),available nitrogen(AN),available phosphorus(AP),and available potassium(AK).The soil property values on unaffected slope were fitted by the polynomial curves as the reference values in no gully erosion area.The interpolated soil property values in gully eroded study area were compared with these polynomial curves,respectively,and then,changes of soil property values were analyzed.Gully erosion caused an increase in GC and a decrease in SOM,TN,AN,AP and AK.The change of GC,SOM,TN,AN,AP,AK was 8.8%,-9.04 g kg-1,-0.92 g kg-1,-62.28 mg kg-1,-29.61 mg kg-1,-79.68 mg kg-1.The soil property values in the study area were below optimal values.Thus,we concluded that gully erosion and gully filling caused both on-site and off-site soil degradation.Soil degradation area was 0.65 % of the cultivated land.In addition,it was proved that gully filling were an improper soil and water conservation measure,which seems to exacerbate the problem.Thus,it is suggested that soil where soil is deep is moved to fill the gully,and then the area around the filled gullies should be covered by grass for preventing the formation and development of the gully.     

直流电阻率测深法在鲁西南(中西部)高氟区找水中的应用

鲁西南(中西部)地区普遍存在地下水中氟化物及矿化度含量较高的问题。电阻率与地下水矿化度关系密切,高氟又易与高矿化度伴生存在,因此赋存高矿化度地下水的黏土层与赋存可饮用地下水砂土层电性上的差异为利用电法在该地区勘查出可饮用地下水提供了基础条件。综合区内区域地质、水文地质及地球物理特征,对重点区的电测深曲线进行了精细的定性及定量解释,划分出重点区内含水层的埋深、黏土层及砂土层分界线,推断出了深层高阻层主要为含淡水砂土层。根据物探推断成果在牡丹区沙土集及曹县常乐集重点区分别施工了2眼钻井。结果表明,钻井出水量丰富,水质较周边有明显改善,直流电测深是在该区域寻找可饮用水资源的一种经济、有效的勘查手段。     

Effects of soil conservation practices on soil erosion and the size selectivity of eroded sediment on cultivated slopes

Soil conservation practices can greatly affect the soil erosion process, but limited information is available about its influence on the particle size distribution(PSD) of eroded sediment, especially under natural rainfall. In this study, the runoff, sediment yields, and effective/ultimate PSD were measured under two conventional tillage practices, downhill ridge tillage(DT) and plat tillage(PT) and three soil conservation practices, contour ridge tillage(CT), mulching with downhill ridge tillage(MDT), and mulching with contour ridge tillage(MCT) during 21 natural rainfall events in the lower Jinsha River. The results showed that(1) soil conservation practices had a significant effect on soil erosion. The conventional tillage of DT caused highest runoff depth(0.58 to 29.13 mm) and sediment yield(0.01 to 3.19 t hm-2). Compared with DT, the annual runoff depths and sediment yields of CT, MDT and MCT decreased by 12.24%-49.75% and 40.79%-88.30%, respectively.(2) Soil conservation practices can reduce the decomposition of aggregates in sediments. The ratios of effective and ultimate particle size(E/U) of siltand sand-sized particles of DT and PT plots were close to 1, indicating that they were transported as primary particles, however, values lower/greater than 1 subject to CT, MDT and MCT plots indicated they were transported as aggregates. The ratios of E/U of claysized particles were all less than 1 independently of tillage practices.(3) The sediments of soil conservation practices were more selective than those of conventional tillage practices. For CT, MDT and MCT plots, the average enrichment ratios(ERs) of clay, silt and sand were 1.99, 1.93 and 0.42, respectively, with enrichment of clay and silt and depletion of sand in sediments. However, the compositions of the eroded sediments of DT and PT plots were similar to that of the original soil. These findings support the use of both effective and ultimate particle size distributions for studying the size selectivity of eroded sediment, and provide a scientific basis for revealing the erosion mechanism in the purple soil area of China.     

A sand control and development model in sandy land based on mixed experiments of arsenic sandstone and sand: A case study in Mu Us Sandy Land in China

Serious desertification caused by human activity and climate change, in addition to water loss and soil erosion related to arsenic sandstone in the Mu Us Sandy Land, lead to severe scarcity of soil and water resources, which causes worse local agricultural conditions accordingly. Many physical properties of arsenic sandstone is complementary with that of sand, arsenic sandstone is therefore supposed to be blended to enhance water productivity and arability of sandy land. Container experiments are carried out to study the enhancement of water holding capacity of the mixture, the blending ratio of arsenic sandstone and sand, and the proper size of the arsenic sandstone particles, respectively. The results of the experiments show that particle size of 4 cm with a ratio of 1 ： 2 between arsenic sandstone and sand are the proper parameters on blending. Both water content and fertility increase after blending. Water use efficiency in the mixture is 2.7 times higher than that in sand by the water release curves from experiments. Therefore, a new sand control and development model, including arsenic sandstone blending with sand, efficient water irrigation management and reasonable farming system, is put forward to control and develop sandy land so that water-saving agriculture could be developed. Demonstration of potato planting about 153.1 ha in area in the Mu Us Sandy Land in China indicates that water consumption is 3018 m3/ha in the whole growth period. It means that about 61% of irrigation water can be saved compared with water use in coarse sand without treatment. Recycle economic mode and positive feedback of sand resource-crop planting-soil resource are constructed, which changes sand into arable soil and make it possible to develop water-saving agriculture on it. The proposed model will be helpful for soil-water resources utilization and management in the Mu Us Sandy Land.     

Wind tunnel study of multiple factors affecting wind erosion from cropland in agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia, China

In this paper,the process of wind erosion on two kinds of soil from the agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia are studied using wind tunnel experiments,considering the wind speed,blown angle of wind and soil moisture content.The results showed that the modulus of soil wind erosion increases with an increase of wind speed.When the wind speed exceeds a critical value,the soil wind erosion suddenly increases.The critical speed for both kinds of soil is within the range of 7-8m·s-1.For a constant wind speed,the rate of soil wind erosion changes from increasing to falling at a critical soil slope.The critical slope of loam soil and sandy loam soil is 20° and 10°,respectively.Soil moisture content has a significant effect on wind erosion.Soil wind erosion of both soils decreases with an increase of the soil water content in two treatments,however,for treatment two,the increasing trends of wind erosion for two soils with the falling of soil water content are no significant,especially for the loam soil,and in the same soil water content,the wind erosion of two soils in treatment one is significantly higher than treatment two,this indicates reducing the disturbance of soil surface can evidently control the soil wind erosion.     

A STUDY ON BUFFERING CAPACITY OF THE FOREST SOIL AGAINST ACIDIC PRECIPITATION IN SEVERAL AREAS OF CHINA

Soil samples from several forest areas in China were analyzed by X-ray powder diffractometry after mineral separation and enrichment. The density gradient separation method with sequential extraction by acetone-methylene iodide mixtures was applied for the separation of fine sand fraction of soil samples. The clay fraction (< 2μm) was separated from silt fraction of soil samples prior to examination. Mineral components in some fine sand and clay samples were compared, and their weathering potentiality and buffering capacity against acidic precipitation were discussed.     

Synergistic effects of vegetation layers of maize and potato intercropping on soil erosion on sloping land in Yunnan Province,China

Intercropping, as an overyielding system, can decrease soil erosion on sloping land through the presence of dense canopy covers. However, the structure mechanism in canopy is still unclear. We conducted a two-year field experiment on runoff plots, exploring whether the interaction between vegetation layers reduce soil erosion in maize and potato intercropping systems. The maize, potato, and weed layers in the intercropping system were removed by a single layer, two layers and three layers, respectively(total of 8 treatments including all layers removed as the control). Then, throughfall, runoff and sediment were measured at the plot and row scale on a weekly basis. Based on the difference between each treatment and the control, we calculated and found a relative reduction of runoff and sediment by any combination of the two vegetation layers greater than the sum of each single layer. In 2016 and 2017, the highest relative reduction of runoff reached 15.65% and 46.73%, respectively. Sediment loss decreased by 33.96% and 42.77%, respectively. Moreover, runoffand sediment reduced by the combination of all vegetation layers(no layers removed) was also larger than the sum of that by each single layer. In 2016 and 2017, the highest relative reduction of runoff reached 7.32% and 3.48%, respectively. So, there were synergistic effects among multi-level(two or three layers) vegetation layers in terms of decreasing soil erosion on sloping land. Maize redistributes more throughfall at the maize intra-specific row and the maize and potato inter-specific, which is favorable for the synergistic effect of reducing soil erosion. This finding shows an important mechanism of maize and potato intercropping for soil and water conservation, and may promote the application of diverse cropping systems for sustainable agriculture in mountainous areas.     

利用数字摄影测量方法估算半干旱区小流域沟谷侵蚀产沙

土壤侵蚀不仅表现黄土高原强烈的现代地貌过程,也是其生态环境恶化的象征,其地貌演化和土壤侵蚀互为因果,现代研究表明黄土高原半干旱小流域的沟谷侵蚀产沙占其水土流失总量的重要部分,近年有关沟谷侵蚀的定量研究成果,加深了人们对沟道侵蚀危害的认识,为土地资源的合理利用、沟谷危害的评价等提供了科学依据。传统的沟谷侵蚀定量研究是采用实地量测的方法,现代的数字摄影测量技术的发展为估算沟谷侵蚀研究提供了一个经济高效方法。本研究采用的髙分辨率数字高程模型是由3期历史航空照片根据数字摄影测量方法制作而成,利用它对黄土高原半干旱区一个小流域的1959～1981年及1981～1999年两个时段内沟谷侵蚀产沙量进行估算,将流域侵蚀产沙的实测值与估算结果进行评价。并指出此方法在沟谷侵蚀产沙量估算方面的统计学意义及在未来应用时要注意的问题;根据流域侵蚀产沙结果分析历史时期人类活动的影响:人类活动在一定程度上改善了环境,绝大部分泥沙被拦截在流域里,同时沟道侵蚀加剧,如何采取措施减少流域坡面和沟道的侵蚀,是目前人们所面对的问题;此外,结合流域水沙统计数据的DEM的侵蚀空间分析,结果表明坡面流、重力侵蚀及沟谷的下切是导致流域土壤侵蚀的主要原因。     

Potential role of feldspathic sandstone as a natural water retaining agent in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northwest China

This paper analyzed the water-retention mechanism of feldspathic sandstone(fine-(<1 mm diam.)and gravel-sized(2-3 cm diam.)in Mu Us Sandy Land,Northwest China.The objective of this study is to study the effect of feldspathic sandstone amendment on water retention in sandy land.The results showed that as the proportion of fine feldspathic sandstone in the sandy land soil increased,the soil texture changed from sand to silt loam,the capillary porosity gradually increased from 26.3%to 44.9%,and the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased from 7.10 mm/min to 0.07 mm/min.Feldspathic sandstone gravel formed micro-reservoirs in the sandy land soil,playing the role of a′water absorbent′and′water retaining agent′in sandy land.Amendment with feldspathic sandstone can increase water retention in the arable layer of sandy land by 67%.This study provides a theoretical basis for the amelioration of sandy land on a large scale.It can be concluded that amendment with feldspathic sandstone can improve the physical properties of sandy land soil and increase soil water retention.     

Changes in SOC and nutrients under intensive tillage in two types of slope landscapes

The net effect of tillage erosion on soil properties would be associated with the spatial variation in soil constituents,and therefore plays an important role in ecological agriculture.We conducted a consecutive tillage by hoeing 15 times during a period with no rainfall in the two slope landscapes(a linear slope and complex slope) of the Yangtze Three Gorges reservoir areas,to examine the relationship between soil erosion rates and the variations in soil chemical properties and compare the effects of soil redistribution on SOC and nutrients between the linear and complex slopes.After the simulated tillage,notable changes in 137 Cs inventories of the soil occurred in the summit and toeslope positions on the linear slope,while there were significant changes in 137 Cs inventories at convex and concave positions on the complex slope.Soil profile disappeared at the summit slope boundary,with the exposure area of 16.0% and 7.6% of the experimental plot,respectively,for the linear and complex slopes due to no soil replacement.Soil organic C and nutrients were completely depleted with the disappearance of soil profiles at soil eroding zones,whereas a remarkable increase in SOC,total N and available nutrient concentrations of the post-tillage surface soil and a decrease in total nutrient concentrations(P and K) were found at depositional zones on the linear slope.For the complex slope,however,changes in SOC and nutrient concentrations of the post-tillage surface soil exhibited a patterndifferent from that on the linear slope,which showed a remarkable decrease in SOC and total nutrient concentrations but a slight increase in available nutrient concentrations after tillage in the toeslope position.Due to the gradual increase in soil depth from top to bottom of the slope,SOC and nutrient inventories in the soil profiles were significantly correlated with soil redistribution rates on both the linear and complex slopes.Tillage causes remarkable changes of soil chemical properties in the surface soil layer and soil profile,and increases SOC and nutrient inventories for the soil profile downslope in steeply sloping landscapes.     

Difference in organic carbon contents and distributions in particle-size fractions between soil and sediment on the Southern Loess Plateau,China

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of long-term cultivation and water erosion on the soil organic carbon （OC） in particle-size fractions. The study site is located at Nihegou Watershed in the Southern Loess Plateau, China. The soil at this site is loess with loose and silty structure, and contains macropores. The results showed that the OC concentrations in sediments and in the particle-size fractions of sediments were higher than those in soils and in the particle-size fractions of soils. The OC concentration was highest in the clay particles and was lowest in the sand particles. Clay particles possessed higher OC enrichment ability than silt and sand particles. The proportions of OC in the silt fractions of soil and sediment were the highest （mean value of 53.87% and 58.48%, respectively）, and the total proportion of OC in the clay and silt fractions accounted for 96% and 98% of the total OC in the soil and sediment, respectively. The loss of OC was highest in silt particles, with an average value of 0.16 Mg ha^-1 y^-1, and was lowest in the sand （0.003 Mg ha^-1 y^-l）. This result suggests that the fine particle-size fraction in the removed sediment may be an important indicator to assess soil OC losses.     

宽甸县水土流失灾害与防治对策

宽甸县处于新构造运动强烈上升区,境内峰峦叠嶂,山势陡峻,沟深谷狭,暴雨频繁,地质环境十分脆弱;加之森林大量砍伐,陡坡开荒严重,垦植指数过高,超载养蚕放牧,滥采乱挖猖獗,使生态环境遭到严重破坏,水土流失程度日益加剧。严重的水土流失,导致水库淤积,河道堵塞,土层变薄,地力下降,洪水泛滥,灾害频繁,给国民经济和社会发展造成巨大损失。本文阐述了宽甸山区水土流失的形成因素和危害现状,并因地制宜提出了水土流失灾害的防治对策     

Shear Wave Speed Dispersion Characteristics of Seafloor Sediments in the Northern South China Sea

To accurately characterize the shear wave speed dispersion of seafloor sediments in the northern South China Sea,five types of sediments including silty clay,clayey silt,sandy silt,silty sand,and clayey sand were selected,on which the measurements of the shear wave speed at 0.5-2.0 kHz and related physical properties were performed.Results reveal that the shear wave speed of sediments increases as the frequency increases,and the dispersion enhanced in the sediments in the order of silty clay,clayey silt,sandy silt,silty sand,and clayey sand,at a linear change rate of 0.727,0.787,3.32,4.893,and 6.967 m s?1 kHz?1,respectively.Through regression analysis,linear and logarithmic regression equations for the correlation between shear wave speed and frequency were established for each sediment type and the determination coefficients of regression equations indicate that the correlation is closer to a logarithmic relationship.The Grain-Shearing(GS)and Biot-Stoll models were used to calculate the shear wave speed dispersion of the five sediment types,and the comparison between theoretical prediction and measured results of shear wave speeds shows that the GS model can more accurately describe the shear wave speed dispersion characteristics of these sediments in the frequency band of 0.5-2.0 kHz.In the same band,the predictions obtained by using the Biot-Stoll model are significantly different from the measured data.     

An experimental study on the wave-induced pore water pressure change and relative influencing factors in the silty seabed

In this study, a flume experiment was designed to investigate the characteristics of wave-induced pore water pressure in the soil of a silty seabed with different clay contents, soil layer buried depths and wave heights respectively. The study showed that water waves propagating over silty seabed can induce significant change of pore water pressure, and the amplitude of pore pressure depends on depth of buried soil layer, clay content and wave height, which are considered as the three influencing factors for pore water pressure change. The pressure will attenuate according to exponential law with increase of soil layer buried depth, and the attenuation being more rapid in those soil layers with higher clay content and greater wave height. The pore pressure in silty seabed increases rapidly in the initial stage of wave action, then decreases gradually to a stable value, depending on the depth of buried soil layer, clay content and wave height. The peak value of pore pressure will increase if clay content or depth of buried soil layer decreases, or wave height increases. The analysis indicated that these soils with 5% clay content and waves with higher wave height produce instability in bed easier, and that the wave energy is mostly dissipated near the surface of soils and 5% clay content in soils can prevent pore pressure from dissipating immediately.     

A soil quality index for evaluation of degradation under land use and soil erosion categories in a small mountainous catchment,Iran

Soil erosion and land use type have long been viewed as being particularly important drivers of soil degradation. The objectives of this study,therefore, were to select a new soil quality index(SQI)which varies significantly with land use/soil erosion,and to evaluate the new SQI using expert opinion. In total, 18 soil physical, chemical, and biochemical properties(indicators) were measured on 56 soil samples collected from four land use/soil erosion categories(rangeland/surface erosion, rangeland/subsurface erosion, cultivated land/surface erosion and dry-farming land/surface erosion). Principal component and classification analysis(PCCA)identified five PCs that explained 77.7% of the variation in soil properties with the biochemical PC varying significantly with land use/soil erosion.General discriminant analysis(GDA) selected urease and clay as the most sensitive properties distinguishing the land use/soil erosion categories.The GDA canonical scores for the new SQI were significantly correlated with expert opinion soil surface summed scores(for soil movement, surface litter, pedestalling, rills and flow pattern) derivedusing the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management(BLM) method. A forward stepwise general regression model revealed that the new SQI values were explained by soil movement,surface litter, and the summed values of the soil surface factors. Overall, this study confirmed that soil quality in the study area in Iran is controlled by land use and corresponding soil erosion.     

DEM与区域土壤侵蚀地形因子研究

地形是影响地表径流和土壤侵蚀的重要因素,坡度等指标是流域水文和土壤侵蚀预报的重要变量.DEM在区域土壤侵蚀中应用研究主要包括:如何实现对侵蚀区地形的表达,使之能准确、科学和有效地表达地形形态和侵蚀沟道网络结构;在多种尺度上,用什么指标实现表征地形对土壤侵蚀发生过程的影响;用什么方法提取或者处理地形因子,如何建立地形因子与土壤侵蚀关系.引入新的DEM理念和算法,应用高精度地形测量数据和数字地形图,改进DEM质量,考虑尺度效应并将已有地形因子研究与区域土壤侵蚀模型研究结合,是今后的主要研究方向.     

Characteristics of Wind Erosion and Deposition in Oasis-desert Ecotone in Southern Margin of Tarim Basin,China

The oasis-desert ecotone is a fragile ecological zone that is affected both by oasis and desert conditions. To understand the impact of the differences in wind power, and the influence of wind erosion and deposition on the ecotone, meteorological data and con- temporaneous wind erosion and deposition data were collected on the southern margin of Tarim Basin with serious sand-blown hazards. The wind velocity, average wind velocity, sand drift potential （DP）, resultant sand drift potential （RDP）, and sand transportation rate decrease significantly and successively across four landscape types with increasing vegetation coverage （VC）. Flat surfaces and areas of shifting sandy ground experience intense wind erosion with fast movement of mobile sand dunes; semi-fixed sand areas experience ex- tensive wind deposition but only slight wind erosion; and fixed sand areas experience only slight wind erosion and deposition. Volume of wind erosion on bare newly reclaimed farmland is up to 6.96 times that of bare shifting sandy ground. Wind erosion volume per unit area and VC follow an exponential function relationship in natural conditions, while wind deposition volume per unit area does not conform to any functions which has close relationship with vary topography and arrangement patterns of vegetation besides for VC. The results indicate that the volume of wind erosion has a close correlation with VC, and different types and distribution patterns of topog- raphy and vegetation also profoundly influence the wind deposition volume in the field, and underground water tables in different land- scape types control the plant community distribution. Keywords： wind erosion; wind deposition; oasis-desert ecotone; vegetation coverage （VC）; topography; Cele County     

天津滨海绿地土壤水分特征曲线的拟合与比较分析

土壤水分特征曲线是定量研究土壤水运动和溶质运移的重要参数,对滨海地区盐碱土绿化建设有重要的作用。通过对天津滨海盐碱地绿化土进行脱水试验,选取Gardner模型和VG模型对实测数据进行拟合。运用对数简化方法对Gardner模型变形后进行回归分析,另外,采用软件Matlab的非线性拟合函数lsqcurvefit对VG模型进行了参数求解。结果表明:Gardner模型和VG模型都可以用于天津滨海盐碱地绿化土水分特征曲线的拟合。Gardner模型的参数求解过程简单,但用VG模型计算出的残差平方和较Gardner模型小,拟合效果优于Gardner模型。同时,该区绿地土断面上各层之间的拟合曲线相近,持水能力相当,说明了该区绿化土断面上各土层的土壤质地和结构差异不大。     

基于包络检波和STFT谱分析的探地雷达土壤分层信息识别

土壤分层信息,特别是表土层结构,对土地生产力具有重要影响,是评价土壤质量的一个重要指标。为了快速、准确地获取土壤分层信息,本文利用探地雷达对分层土壤进行了回波信号采集,并分别在时域和频域分析土壤层位置和层厚信息。首先在信号预处理的基础上,借助包络检波方法确定在土壤分层界面在时域上的位置;然后获取电磁波速度,得到土壤分层厚度。考虑到土壤介电常数与电磁波在土壤中传播速度的相关性,采用短时傅里叶变换方法（Short-time Fourier Transform,STFT）获取各土壤层时频域特征值,并利用回归分析建立特征值与介电常数之间的数学关系,实现对各土壤层的介电常数估算,从而计算出电磁波传播速度,进而确定土壤各层厚度。为验证算法的有效性,分别对理想模拟实验环境和农田环境进行了探地雷达实验,结果表明利用包络检波对探地雷达回波信息进行分析,土壤层检出率达到94.5%,借助STFT谱分析进行探地雷达回波速度估计,对于70 cm深度以上土层厚度计算误差大都保持在10%以下,但随着土壤深度的增加,误差变大。总体来说,本方法能有效识别浅层土壤的分层信息,可应用于实际生产中耕层厚度的估测。     

Comparative study on rain splash erosion of representative soils in China

As the first event of soil erosion, rain splash erosion supplies materials for subsequent transportation and entrainment. The Loess Plateau, the southern hilly region and the Northeast China are subject to serious soil and water loss; however, the characteristics of rain splash erosion in those regions are still unclear. The objectives of the study are to analyze the characteristics of splash erosion on loess soil, red soil, purple soil and black soil, and to discuss the relationship between splash erosion and soil properties. Soil samples spatially distributed in the abovementioned regions were collected and underwent simulated rainfalls at a high intensity of 1.2mm/min, lasting for 5, 10, 15, and 20min, respectively. Rain splash and soil crust development were analyzed. It shows that black soil sample from Heilongjiang Province corresponds to the minimum splash erosion amount because it has high aggregate content, aggregate stability and organic matter content. Loess soil sample from Inner Mongolia corresponds to the maximum splash erosion amount because it has high content of sand particles. Loess soil sample from Shanxi Province has relatively lower splash erosion amount because it has high silt particle content and low aggregate stability easily to be disrupted under rainfalls with high intensity. Although aggregate contents of red soil and purple soil samples from Hubei and Guangdong provinces are high, the stability is weak and prone to be disrupted, so the splash erosion amount is medium. Splash rate which fluctuates over time is observed because soil crust development follows a cycling processes of formation and disruption. In addition, there are two locations of soil crust development, one appears at the surface, and the other occurs at the subsurface.