RUNOFF GENERATION AND SOIL EROSION IN SMALL AGRICULTURAL CATCHMENTS WITH LOESS-DERIVED SOILS

Over a two-year period, rainfall, runoff and sediment output were measured in six small agricultural catchments (3–10 ha) in south Limburg (The Netherlands). These measurements were needed for validation of an erosion model for South Limburg (LISEM). In this paper, results of the measurements are presented and processes that determine surface runoff and sediment yield during winter and summer rainfall are identified. Before the start of the measurement programme, surface slaking and crust formation on the erodible loess soils were thought to be the main cause of overland flow and soil erosion in South Limburg. This was the starting point for soil conservation measures in the area. The measurement results discussed in this paper show that in some catchments much runoff occurred in winter and that soil moisture storage capacity may be just as important for runoff generation as infiltration capacity. Therefore, when modelling soil erosion and optimizing erosion control measures for South Limburg, runoff generation through Hortonian as well as through saturation overland flow must be considered.     

MEASURING AND MODELLING OF SOIL WATER DYNAMICS AND RUNOFF GENERATION IN AN AGRICULTURAL LOESSIAL HILLSLOPE

Surface runoff may be generated when the rainfall intensity exceeds the infiltration capacity, or when the soil profile is saturated with water. Indications exist that both types of overland flow may occur in hilly agricultural loess regions. Here, for a loessial hillslope under maize in the southern part of The Netherlands, it was shown, with pressure head and runoff measurements, that Hortonian overland flow occurs during typical summer rain events. Surface runoff was initiated after saturation of the top 5–10 cm of the soil. Deeper in the soil, unsaturated conditions prevailed while runoff took place. Peak runoff discharges at the outlet of the subcatchment occurred a few minutes after peak rainfall intensities were measured. It appeared that SWMS_2D, a two-dimensional water flow model, was capable in simulating observed pressure head changes and runoff. Simulated potential runoff for the transect studied was higher by a magnitude of three than the measured areal average. This indicates effects of surface ponding, and the probable location of this particular transect in a region with high runoff production.     

MEASUREMENT OF FROST-INDUCED SNOWMELT RUNOFF IN A FOREST SOIL

Snow interception in a coniferous stand leads to considerable short-range variability in snowcover depth, which in turn affects the water and heat regime of the soil. To study the coupling between snow accumulation, frost penetration, and hydrological response, plot-scale experiments were conducted in a subalpine spruce forest. The stony, sandy–loamy Spodosol was highly permeable and had an organic layer of 5–15 cm thickness. Within two plots, one underneath a tree crown and one in a canopy gap, we measured near-surface runoff, soil temperature, and liquid water content. Snow and frost depths varied more in space than between two winter periods at given locations. Frost penetration was greater near the trunk, where a higher portion of snowmelt water drained downslope close to the surface than in the gap due to frost-induced reduction of infiltration. In both years, the spring snowmelt occurred over two distinct periods. During the first snowmelt, the water percolated primarily through the frozen layer and part of it probably refroze within the frozen layer, thereby raising the total water and ice content. During the second event, near-surface runoff was more pronounced.     

WINTER RUNOFF AND EROSION ON NORTHWESTERN USA CROPLAND

h200l.llNTRODUCTI0NTheNorthwesternWheatandRangeRegi0n(NWax)(Austin,l98l),whichincludesportionsofIdaho,Oregon,andWashington,isoneofthem0stuniqueagriculturalregionsoftheUSA.Winterandspringsmallgrainsand0thercropsareproukcedonl0esss0ilsdepositedoverbasalt.TheloessvariesinboththicknessandtopograPhicfeatures.Someareashavesteepanddune-likeslopes,while0thershavel0ng,gentlesl0pes.Theregion,br0kenfromnativeprairielessthanl20yearsag0(Kaise,l96l)hassufferedseriousdegradationofthesoilresourcebyw…     

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CATCHMENT ATTRIBUTES AND HYDROLOGICAL RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS IN SMALL AUSTRALIAN MOUNTAIN ASH CATCHMENTS

Sixteen small catchments in the Maroondah region of Victoria, Australia were analysed using rainfall, temperature and streamflow time series with a rainfall–runoff model whose parameters efficiently characterize the hydrological response of a catchment. A set of catchment attributes for each of these catchments was then compared with the associated set of hydrological response characteristics of the catchments as estimated by the model. The time constant governing quickflow recession of streamflow (τ_q) was related to the drainage network and catchment area. The time constant governing slowflow recession of streamflow (τ_s) was related to the slope and shape of the catchment. The parameter governing evapotranspirative losses ( f ) was related to catchment gradient and vegetative water use. Forestry activities in the catchments changed evapotranspirative losses and thus total volume of streamflow, but did not affect the rate of streamflow recession.     

CHARACTERIZATION AND CAUSATION OF RUNOFF AND SEDIMENT VARIATION IN THE JIALINGJIANG RIVER BASIN

The Jialingjiang River basin is one of the main sediment contributing areas in the upper reaches of the Changjiang River. Great changes have taken place in the runoff and sediment discharge in recent years. Comparing the data of 1991-2003 with the data of 1954-1990, the annual runoff of the Jialingjiang River basin decreased by 23 %, and the suspended sediment transport decreased by 74% or 105 million tons. The main factors affecting the reduction include a decrease in rainfall, sediment detention of hydraulic structures, soil and water conservation activities, sedimentation and sand dredging in the river channel. Thorough investigation and analysis of the contribution of each factor to the sediment decrease at Beibei Station was determined for the first time. The following are the contributing percentages for each factor: a decrease in runoff accounted for 32.9%; soil and water conservation measures accounted for 16.4%; sediment detention of hydraulic structures accounted for 30.5%; sedimentation, river channel sand dredging, and other factors accounted for 20.2%. These findings are very important for forecasting the trend of inflow sediment discharge variation.     

Comparison of different methods describing the peak runoff contributing areas during floods

In the last few years, the scientific community has developed several hydrological models aimed at the simulation of hydrological processes acting at the basin scale. In this context, the portion of peak runoff contributing areas represents a critical variable for a correct estimate of surface runoff. Such areas are strongly influenced by the saturated portion of a river basin (influenced by antecedent conditions) but may also evolve during a specific rainfall event. In the recent years, we have developed 2 theoretically derived probability distributions that attempt to interpret these 2 processes adopting daily runoff and flood‐peak time series. The probability density functions (PDFs) obtained by these 2 schematisations were compared for humid river basins in southern Italy. Results highlighted that the PDFs of the peak runoff contributing areas can be interpreted by a gamma distribution and that the PDF of the relative saturated area provides a good interpretation of such process that can be used for flood prediction.     

EFFECT OF SNOW AND FIRN HYDROLOGY ON THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GLACIAL RUNOFF

Near-surface processes on glaciers, including water flow over bare ice and through seasonal snow and firn, have a significant effect on the speed, volume and chemistry of water flow through the glacier. The transient nature of the seasonal snow profoundly affects the water discharge and chemistry. Water flow through snow is fairly slow compared with flow over bare ice and a thinning snowpack on a glacier decreases the delay between peak meltwater input and peak stream discharge. Furthermore, early spring melt flushes the snowpack of solutes and by mid-summer the melt water flowing into the glacier is fairly clean by comparison. The firn, a relatively constant feature of glaciers, attenuates variations in water drainage into the glacier by temporarily storing water in saturated layer. Bare ice exerts opposite influences by accentuating variations in runoff by water flowing over the ice surface. The melt of firn and ice contributes relatively clean (solute-free) water to the glacier water system.     

Spatial and temporal variability of groundwater dynamics in a sub‐Mediterranean mountain catchment

The temporal and spatial dynamics of groundwater was investigated in a small catchment in the Spanish Pyrenees, which was extensively used for agriculture in the past. Analysis of the water table fluctuations at five locations over a 6‐year period demonstrated that the groundwater dynamics had a marked seasonal cycle involving a wetting‐up period that commenced with the first autumn rainfall events, a saturation period during winter and spring and a drying‐down period from the end of spring until the end of the summer. The length of the saturation period showed great interannual variability, which was mainly influenced by the rainfall and evapotranspiration characteristics. There was marked spatial variability in the water table, especially during the wetting‐up period, which could be related to differences in slope and drainage area, geomorphology, soil properties and local topography. Areas contributing to runoff generation were identified within the catchment by field mapping of moisture conditions. Areas contributing to infiltration excess runoff were correlated with former cultivated fields affected by severe sheetwash erosion. Areas contributing to saturation excess runoff were characterized by a marked spatial dynamics associated with catchment wetness conditions. The saturation spatial pattern, which was partially related to the topographic index, was very patchy throughout the catchment, suggesting the influence of other factors associated with past agricultural activities, including changes in local topography and soil properties. The relationship between water table levels and stream flow was weak, especially during the wetting‐up period, suggesting little connection between ground water and the hydrological response, at least at some locations. The results suggest that in drier and human‐disturbed environments, such as sub‐Mediterranean mountains, saturation patterns cannot be represented only by the general topography of the catchment. They also suggest that groundwater storage and runoff is not a succession of steady‐state flow conditions, as assumed in most hydrological models. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrological and erosional response to natural rainfall in a semi‐arid area of south‐east Spain

A better knowledge of soil erosion by water is essential for planning effective soil and water conservation practices in semi‐arid Mediterranean environments. The special climatic and hydrological characteristics of these areas, however, make accurate soil loss predictions difficult, particularly in the absence of minimal data. Two zero‐order experimental microcatchments (328–759 m²), representative of an extensive semi‐arid watershed with a high potential erosion risk in the south‐east of Spain, were selected and monitored for 3 years (1991–93) in order to provide information on the hydrological and erosional response. A pluviogram and hydrograph recorded data at 1‐min intervals during each storm, after which the soil loss was collected and the particle size of the sediment was analysed. Runoff coefficients of about 9% and soil losses of between 84·83 and 298·9 g m^?2 year^?1 were observed in the area. Rapid response times (geometric mean values lower than 2 h) and low runoff thresholds (mean values between 3·5 to 5·9 mm) were the norm in the experimental areas. A rain intensity of over 15 mm h^?1 was considered as ‘erosive rainfall’ in these areas because of the total soil loss and the transport capacity of the overland flow. Differences in pore‐size distribution explained the different hydrological responses observed between areas. The erosional response was more complex and basically seemed to be determined by soil aggregate stability and topographical properties. A greater proportion of finer particles in the eroded material than in the soil matrix indicated selective erosion and the transport of finer material. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of ground‐penetrating radar to the identification of subsurface piping in blanket peat

Natural soil pipes are common and significant in upland blanket peat catchments yet there are major problems in finding and defining the subsurface pipe networks. This is particularly important because pipeflow can contribute a large proportion of runoff to the river systems in these upland environments and may significantly influence catchment sediment and solute yields. Traditional methods such as digging soil pits are destructive and time‐consuming (particularly in deep peat) and only provide single point sources of information. This paper presents results from an experiment to assess the use of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) to remotely sense pipes in blanket peat. The technique is shown to be successful in identifying most of the pipes tested in the pilot catchment. Comparison of data on pipes identified by GPR and verified by manual measurement suggests that pipes can be located in the soil profile with a depth accuracy of 20 to 30 cm. GPR‐identified pipes were found throughout the soil profile; however, those within 10–20 cm of the surface could not be identified using the 100 or 200 MHz antennae due to multiple surface reflections. Generally pipes smaller than 10 cm in diameter could not be identified using the technique although modifications are suggested that will allow enhanced resolution. Future work would benefit from the development of dual‐frequency antennae that will allow the combination of high‐resolution data with the depth of penetration required in a wetland environment. The GPR experiment shows that pipe network densities were much greater than could be detected from surface observation alone. Thus, GPR provides a non‐destructive, fast technique which can produce continuous profiles of peat depth and indicate pipe locations across survey transects. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Peak runoff contributing area as hydrological signature of the probability distribution of floods

For the analysis of hydrological extremes and particularly in flood prediction, deeper investigation is needed on the relative effects of different hydrological processes acting at the basin scale in different hydroclimatic areas of the world. In this framework, the theoretical derivation of flood distribution shows a great potential for development and knowledge advancement. In addition, another promising path of investigation is represented by the use of distributed hydrological models via simulation modelling (including Monte Carlo, discrete event and continuous simulation). In this paper results of a theoretically derived flood frequency distribution are analyzed and compared with the results of a simulation scheme that uses a distributed hydrological model (DREAM) in cascade with a rainfall generator (IRP). The numerical simulation allows the reproduction of a large number of extreme events and provides insight into the main control for flood generation mechanisms with particular emphasis to the peak runoff contributing areas, highlighting the relevance of soil texture and morphology in different climatic environments. The proposed methodology is applied here to the Agri and the Bradano basin, in Southern Italy.     

分层弹性地基场地土地震反应分析

本文对场地土按分层弹性地基土建立了合理的力学模型，通过动力分析，给分层弹性地基场地土水平方向自振特性及在水平方向地震荷载作用下强迫反应的解析解。     

城市活动断裂探测和地震危险性评价问题

城市范围内直下型活动断裂突发错动产生的直下型大地震 ,直接威胁城市和人民生命财产的安全。城市活动断裂探测和地震危险性评价是为城市减灾服务的一项系统工程 ,也是活动构造研究面临的一项新的工作。这一工作的核心是要解决城市范围内的断裂定位、断裂最新活动、断裂的深部背景、断裂的地震危险性和地面错动危险性及减灾对策。为了更好地理解这一问题 ,作者用“有没有、活不活、深不深 ,震不震 ,错不错 ,好对策”这 6句话来表示其核心内容。文中对这些问题作了具体的说明     

加载破裂和卸载破裂的焦散阴影区动态特征的实验研究

以实时全息干涉计量方法和焦散阴影光学法，用有机玻璃试样直观、形象地研究加载过程和卸载过程破裂时的应力（应变）场、塑性区或成核区（阴影区）不同地动态特征变化．结果发现，在低应力时，预制裂缝端点先出现应变核（条纹密集区），进而形成焦散阴影区．这些核和阴影区会随荷载增加变大，随卸载而减小．在一定的压力范围内重复加载卸载（循环加载），焦散阴影区则反复增大缩小；但在高应力时，尤其在将出现大破裂时，加载和卸载的焦散阴影区变化是不可逆的，其变化也完全不同．加载破裂时的焦散阴影区由慢到快迅速扩展；而卸载时的焦散阴影区则扩展较慢，并且在尖角形前方有一圆形阴影．      

CHANGES IN GLACIER AND ALPINE RUNOFF IN THE NORTH CASCADE RANGE,WASHINGTON, USA 1985–1993

From 1985 to 1993, the mean summer temperature was 1.1°C above the long-term mean and the mean winter precipitation was 11% below the long-term mean at the eight Washington State Cascade Mountain weather stations. The effect of this climate fluctuation on glacier and alpine runoff has been examined in five North Cascade basins. From 1985 to 1993 the two basins with less than 1% glacier-covered area experienced mean 1 July to 30 September (late summer) runoff 36% below the long-term mean. The three moderately glaciated basins (3, 6 and 14% glaciated, respectively) experienced a 13% decline in late summer runoff for the same period. A significant change in late summer runoff has occurred in the North Cascades and this change is less pronounced in glacier basins. The cause of the change is decreased winter precipitation and earlier onset of spring melting of the alpine snowpack, followed by above average summer temperatures and an earlier summer melt of alpine snowpack. The smaller decrease in runoff in glacial basins is due to increased ablation and consequent glacier runoff due to high summer temperatures. However, glacier retreat is also reducing glacier runoff.     

ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF NON-LINEAR SOIL RESPONSE AND DYNAMIC SOIL PROPERTIES USING VERTICAL ARRAY DATA IN JAPAN

Non-linear response of the soil is investigated by comparing the spectral ratios (uphole/downhole) using weak and strong motions. Data from seven vertical arrays in Japan are analysed in this study. The frequency-dependent transfer function of soil is calculated as a ratio of the spectrum at uphole to the spectrum at downhole, considering the horizontal component of shear wave. In spectral ratio analysis auto- and cross-spectra are employed. The reduction in the predominant frequency of the transfer function with increases in excitation level reflects the non-linear response of the soil. Results of analysis demonstrate a significant non-linear ground response at six sites with surface PGA exceeding 90 gal. However, the results of one site show the linear response up to 130 gal surface PGA. Furthermore, the in situ strain-dependent soil behaviour is examined through the shear modulus – shear strain relationship. When compared, the actual and laboratory results of the shear strain – shear modulus relationship are in agreement. Additionally, a good consistency between the tendency of reduction in shear modulus ratio with shear strain increases, and reduction of predominant frequency with ground motion increases, confirms the significance of non-linearity in site effects study.     

江西省及邻区地震动参数衰减关系

在利用江西省及邻区的地震烈度等震线资料建立该区地震烈度衰减关系的基础上,以美国西部为参考地区,转换得到了相应的水平向基岩峰值加速度与反应谱衰减关系,并与中国东部地区的地震动参数衰减关系进行了对比,其结果更加符合该区历史和近代地震震害分布的地域性特点,可进一步应用于地震安全性评价、震害预测、损失快速评估等研究     

我国大陆地区和近海海域能量收支分布及其季节变化的数值模拟研究

应用美国宇航局Goddard地球观测系统四维资料同化系统、计算了我国大陆地区和近海海域1998年各月月平均能量收支各项和10m气温、比湿及风矢量的地理分布特征. 模式计算结果表明,地表短波净辐射最强出现在夏季(7月)新疆和西藏中部地区,高值中心区可达275W/m2,在黄海东海海域春季(4月)最大,其值为250W/m2左右. 地表长波净辐射最强出现在夏季(7月)我国西北地区,中心区值为125W/m2,我国近海海域在冬季(1月)最强,其值为75-100W/m2. 我国近海海面,冬季(1月)潜热通量值高于一般月份,中心区值可达250W/m2,夏季我国大陆西南、华北和东北一带为潜热通量高值区,其值为125W/m2. 月平均能量收支计算结果显示,在黄海、东海海域冬季(1月)净通量为海洋向大气输送,夏季(7月)则反之,新疆和西藏高原中部夏季为净通量正值区. 综合温度、湿度和风矢量场分布发现,夏季从南海向华东地区,孟加拉湾向印度次大陆有明显的水汽平流输送,西藏西南部也有来自西南方向的水汽输送.     

地理信息系统与震后快速响应

为了地震后快速响应的需要,介绍了通过地理信息系统研究北京及周围地区的地震震型分布以及北京地区地震安全图和邻近地震理论烈度分布的方法。为北京市震后早期趋势快速判定及防震减灾服务。同时,以1997年5月张家口M_S 4.2和1998年1月10日张北-尚义M_S 6.2地震为例说明上述方法、图件在震后应急工作中的重要性。