澜沧江典型对比流域水力侵蚀快速调查与评价

根据水力侵蚀面蚀和沟蚀两种不同侵蚀形态发生过程尺度空间大小不一的侵蚀特点,确定了研究区面蚀和沟蚀的不同调查评价方法.面蚀的发生过程空间尺度小,选用小区调查方法进行,而沟蚀的发生过程尺度空间大,在典型调查小流域尺度进行全面调查.然后在两种尺度下,分析形成沟蚀和面蚀的影响因素,进行沟蚀程度和面蚀强度分级,并把研究成果展延到澜沧江凤庆河流域和晓街河流域.最后,以在典型调查小流域的研究结果为对照判别依据,判断风庆河和晓街河流域的土壤侵蚀状况.结果显示,澜沧江典型流域的面蚀强度差异不大,沟蚀是造成不同流域土壤侵蚀和沟道输沙差异的主要水力侵蚀形式.     

Evaluation of the LISEM soil erosion model in two catchments in the East African Highlands

Under increasing population pressure, soil erosion has become a threat in the East African Highlands, and erosion modelling can be useful to quantify this threat. To test its applicability for this region, the LISEM soil erosion model was applied to two small catchments, one in the Usumbara Mountains, Tanzania, and the other on the slopes of Mount Kenya. Input data for the model were collected in both catchments, as were data on runoff and erosion that were used for calibration and validation of the model. LISEM was first calibrated on catchment outlet data, and afterwards simulated spatial patterns of erosion were compared to available erosion data. The results showed that LISEM can, after calibration, give good discharge predictions for some events, but not for all. However, LISEM generally overpredicted soil loss from the catchments. Comparison with observed erosion patterns did not show overprediction, but according to the model, erosion was more widespread than was observed. There are several reasons for these discrepancies. First, it is difficult to obtain enough accurate data to run the model, such as accurate maps, rainfall data and soil and plant characteristics. Second, it is also difficult to obtain accurate data to evaluate the performance of the model, either for the catchment outlet or spatially, therefore observed erosion rates are also uncertain. Third, the model could not deal correctly with complex events, i.e. those having double rainfall peaks, and might also have difficulties with catchment characteristics such as soil type and the complexity of land use. Finally, LISEM could not deal with events in which throughflow or baseflow played a role, which was to be expected since those processes are not simulated by LISEM. Nevertheless, LISEM could be calibrated to give good discharge predictions for some events, and also gave reasonable results when compared to data obtained from erosion plots. Furthermore, only complex, distributed, storm‐based models such as LISEM can give spatial predictions for single storms. Therefore, it is concluded that if the aim is spatial prediction on an event basis, there is no alternative to complex erosion models such as LISEM, but if the aim is to predict average annual erosion, the data‐demanding, physically based LISEM erosion model may not be the most appropriate model. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Consequences of hyperconcentrated flow for process‐based soil erosion modelling on the Chinese Loess Plateau

High sediment concentrations in runoff are a characteristic feature of the Chinese Loess Plateau, and are probably caused by factors such as the occurrence of erodible materials on steep slopes, the characteristics of the loess and the harsh climate that results in low plant cover. When sediment concentration increases, fluid density increases, viscosity increases and settling velocity decreases. These effects become increasingly important with increasing concentration and can result in flow behaviour that is quite different from that of clear water flow. Although the net effect of these changes on the flow is not always apparent, erosion models that deal with high sediment concentrations should consider such effects and could include corrections for some of these effects. A case study in a small catchment on the Loess Plateau indicated that sediment concentrations were considerable, and literature data suggested that for such sediment concentrations, corrections for settling velocity, fluid density and viscosity are needed. Furthermore, a number of corrections are necessary to be able to compare field measurements with results of soil erosion models: sediment volume should be subtracted from runoff volume and a density correction is needed to use data from a pressure transducer. For flumes that were used to measure discharge from smaller areas inside the catchment, the measured water level should be corrected by subtracting the sediment level in the flume from the water level, while the sediment volume should also be subtracted from the discharge. Finally, measured concentration should be corrected to give concentration expressed as grams per litre of clear water, since soil erosion models express sediment concentration in this way. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of forcing and landscape distribution on performance and consistency of model structures

It is often challenging to determine the appropriate level of spatial model forcing and model distribution in conceptual rainfall‐runoff modelling. This paper compares the value of incorporating both spatially distributed forcing data and spatially distributed model conceptualisations based on landscape heterogeneity, applied to the Ourthe catchment in Belgium. Distributed forcing data were used to create a spatial distribution of model states. Eight different configurations were tested: a lumped and distributed model structure, each with four levels of model state distribution. The results show that in the study catchment the distributed model structure can in general better reproduce the dynamics of the hydrograph, and furthermore, that the differences in performance and consistency between calibration and validation are smallest for the distributed model structure with distributed model states. For the Ourthe catchment, it can be concluded that the positive effect of incorporating a distributed model structure is larger than that of incorporating distributed model states. Distribution of model structure increases both model performance and consistency. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enantioselectivity of polychlorinated biphenyl atropisomers in sediment and biota from the Turtle/Brunswick River estuary, Georgia, USA

To investigate the potential for enantioselective transformation and accumulation, the enantiomer distributions of seven polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) atropisomers were measured in the sediment and biota from a sub-tropical estuary heavily contaminated with Aroclor 1268, a technical mixture of highly chlorinated PCB congeners. Enantiomer fractions (EFs) of PCBs 91, 95, 136, 149, 174, 176, and 183 in marsh sediment, invertebrate, forage and predatory fish species, and bottlenose dolphins were determined. Non-racemic EFs greater than 0.75 were found in sediments for PCBs 136 and 174, likely the result of microbial dechlorination. Although enantiomer fractions in grass shrimp (Palaemonetes spp.) mirrored those of sediment, fish species had EFs that differed significantly from sediment or grass shrimp. Similarly, bottlenose dolphins were also found to contain non-racemic quantities of PCBs 91, 136, 174, 176, and 183. Non-racemic EFs in these biota were likely a result of both uptake of non-racemic proportions of PCBs from the diet and enantioselective biotransformation.     

Effects of grid cell size and time step length on simulation results of the Limburg soil erosion model (LISEM)

With increasing computer power, process‐based models that use grids to discretize space have become increasingly popular. For such models, the simulation results might depend on both grid cell size and, in the case of dynamic models, on the time step length used in the model. In this study, the dynamic Limburg soil erosion model (LISEM) was applied to a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. To study the effect of grid cell size and time step length, simulations were performed for grid cell sizes ranging from 5 to 100 m for a single time step length, and for time step lengths ranging from 2 to 120 s for a single grid cell size. The results show that the LISEM results vary considerably as a function of both grid cell size and time step length. For both increase in cell size and increasing time step length, the trend was a decrease in predicted discharge and predicted soil loss. For discharge, the most important causes are likely to be a decrease in slope with increasing grid cell size, rainfall averaging for longer time step lengths, and numerical dispersion of the kinematic wave solution. For soil loss, the cause is less clear, reflecting the complexity of soil loss prediction, which depends on available water, transport capacity and sediment redistribution, all of which change in time and space. These results show that a choice for a certain grid cell size and a certain time step length should be made before calibration of the model. Similar erosion models are likely to have similar dependencies on grid size and time step length. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Suitability of transport equations in modelling soil erosion for a small Loess Plateau catchment

Erosion models have not often been applied to very steep terrain such as the gully catchments of the Chinese Loess Plateau. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the suitability of a number of transport equations for use in erosion modelling under Loess Plateau conditions. To do this the equations were programmed into the LISEM model, which was applied to the 3.5 km² Danangou catchment in the rolling hills region of the Loess Plateau. Previous evaluations of transport equations used either flume tests or river sections, and did no spatial modelling. The results show that some equations predicted physically impossible concentrations (defined as above 1060 g/l). The results were evaluated by using two methods: 1) by comparing predicted and measured sedigraphs and sediment yield at the catchment outlet, and 2) by comparing the fraction of the catchment in which physically impossible transport capacities occurred. The results indicated that for the small grain sizes, high density flows and steep slopes of the gully catchments on the Loess Plateau the Shields parameter attained very high values. Furthermore, the transport threshold can usually be neglected in the equations. Most of the resulting equations were too sensitive to slope angle (Abrahams, Schoklitsch, Yalin, Bagnold, Low and Rickenmann), so that transport rates were overpredicted for steep slopes and underpredicted for gentle slopes. The Yang equation appeared to be too sensitive to grainsize. The Govers equation performed best, mainly because of its low slope dependency, and is therefore recommended for erosion models that simulate sediment transport by flowing water in conditions with small grain sizes and steep slopes.     

Hydrological triggering conditions of landslides in varved clays in the French Alps

In this paper the meteorological and hydrological conditions are analyzed which trigger shallow and deeper landslides in glacio-lacustrine deposits (varved or laminated clays) in the French Alps. The hydrological system of these landslides consists of a colluvial cover which supplies water into the fissures of the underlying varved clays. From these fissures water can infiltrate more or less horizontally into the silt layers of the varved clays. A combined reservoirs model was used to simulate the water fluctuations in the colluvial cover and the fissures. Both the water level in the fissures and the residence time of water in the fissures are mainly controlled by the amount of water storage in the colluvial cover. Simulations over the last 25 years show that almost each year the fissures are completely filled with water for several months a year.

Infiltration experiments in the field show that infiltration into the varved clays occurs mainly by horizontal infiltration into the silt laminae. Calculated infiltration rates from these fissures into the silt layers show that the mean yearly residence time of water in the fissures is not sufficient to fully saturate the clay mass each year. It is therefore concluded that the triggering of the landslide movements is mainly controlled by the development of positive pore water pressures in the fissure system and that the rise of pore water pressures induced by the matrix system of the varved clays only plays a minor role. The calculations also show that drainage of the colluvial cover is a very efficient measure to stabilize the deeper landslides.     

Distinct patterns of bank erosion in a navigable regulated river

Distinct bankline patterns appeared after the removal of protection works along a navigable reach of the Meuse River. A series of oblique embayments now dominate the riverine landscape after ten years of bank erosion, but their location and asymmetry cannot be explained yet. This work analyses and integrates field measurements of flow, ship waves, bank composition, bed topography and historical maps to explain the observed patterns along two reaches of the river. An extraordinary low-water-level event generated by a ship accident provided the unique opportunity to also analyse the subaqueous bank topography. The results indicate that the formation of oblique embayments arises from the combination of floodplain heterogeneity, structured by scroll-bar deposits, and the regulation of water levels, resulting in ship-wave attack at a narrow range of bank elevation for 70% of the time. Substrate erodibility acts on the effectiveness of trees to slow down local bank erosion rates, which is possibly enhanced by a positive feedback between woody roots and cohesive soil. The strong regulation of water levels and the waves generated by the intense ship traffic produce an increasingly long mildly-sloping terrace at the bank toe and progressively dominate the bank erosion process. This study demonstrates the important role of floodplain and scroll bar formation in shaping later bank erosion, which has implications for predictive numerical models, restoration strategies, and understanding the role of vegetation in bank erosion processes. © 2019 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd