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.     

Hydrological connectivity of soil pipes determined by ground‐penetrating radar tracer detection

Soil pipes are common and important features of many catchments, particularly in semi‐arid and humid areas, and can contribute a large proportion of runoff to river systems. They may also signi?cantly in?uence catchment sediment and solute yield. However, there are often problems in ?nding and de?ning soil pipe networks which are located deep below the surface. Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) has been used for non‐destructive identi?cation and mapping of soil pipes in blanket peat catchments. While GPR can identify subsurface cavities, it cannot alone determine hydrological connectivity between one cavity and another. This paper presents results from an experiment to test the ability of GPR to establish hydrological connectivity between pipes through use of a tracer solution. Sodium chloride was injected into pipe cavities previously detected by the radar. The GPR was placed downslope of the injection points and positioned on the ground directly above detected soil pipes. The resultant radargrams showed signi?cant changes in re?ectance from some cavities and no change from others. Pipe waters were sampled in order to check the radar results. Changes in electrical conductivity of the pipe water could be detected by the GPR, without data post‐processing, when background levels were increased by more than approximately twofold. It was thus possible to rapidly determine hydrological connectivity of soil pipes within dense pipe networks across hillslopes without ground disturbance. It was also possible to remotely measure travel times through pipe systems; the passing of the salt wave below the GPR produced an easily detectable signal on the radargram which required no post‐processing. The technique should allow remote sensing of water sources and sinks for soil pipes below the surface. The improved understanding of ?owpath connectivity will be important for understanding water delivery, solutional and particulate denudation, and hydrological and geomorphological model development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

INFLUENCE OF PIPE ANGLE ON BEDLOAD TRANSPORT IN AN INCLINED PIPE

1 INTRODUCTION Sedimentation in reservoirs is a significant problem. A variety of methods have been suggested to alleviate the effects of sedimentation, but none of the methods are inexpensive and entirely effective. Perhaps soil conservation is the best option, but soil conservation only leads to a reduction in sediment load. Dredging is expensive and produces a large amount of spoil. Sediment sluicing can be effective, but for large dams it takes a great deal of time to lower and re…     

3D mapping of buried underworld infrastructure using dynamic Bayesian network based multi-sensory image data fusion

The successful operation of buried infrastructure within urban environments is fundamental to the conservation of modern living standards. In this paper a novel multi-sensor image fusion framework has been proposed and investigated using dynamic Bayesian network for automatic detection of buried underworld infrastructure. Experimental multi-sensors images were acquired for a known buried plastic water pipe using Vibro-acoustic sensor based location methods and Ground Penetrating Radar imaging system. Computationally intelligent conventional image processing techniques were used to process three types of sensory images. Independently extracted depth and location information from different images regarding the target pipe were fused together using dynamic Bayesian network to predict the maximum probable location and depth of the pipe. The outcome from this study was very encouraging as it was able to detect the target pipe with high accuracy compared with the currently existing pipe survey map. The approach was also applied successfully to produce a best probable 3D buried asset map.     

Evaluation of the parameters affecting the roughness coefficient of sewer pipes with rigid and loose boundary conditions via kernel based approaches

One of the important issues in water transport and sewer systems is determining the flow resistance and roughness coefficient.An accurate estimation of the roughness coefficient is a substantial issue in the design and operation of hydraulic structures such as sewer pipes,the calculation of water depth and flow velocity,and the accurate characterization of energy losses.The current study,applies two kernel based approaches [Support Vector Machine(SVM) and Gaussian Process Regression(GPR)] to develop roughness coefficient models for sewer pipes.In the modeling process,two types of sewer bed conditions were considered:loose bed and rigid bed.In order to develop the models,different input combinations were considered under three scenarios(Scenario 1:based on hydraulic characteristics,Scenarios2 and 3:based on hydraulic and sediment characteristics with and without considering sediment concentration as input).The results proved the capability of the kernel based approaches in prediction of the roughness coefficient and it was found that for prediction of this parameter in sewer pipes Scenario 3 performed better than Scenarios 1 and 2.Also,the sensitivity analysis results showed that Dgr(Dimensionless particle number) for a rigid bed and w_b/y(ratio of deposited bed width,w_b,to flow depth,y) for a loose bed had the most significant impact on the modeling process.     

Determining the location of buried plastic water pipes from measurements of ground surface vibration

‘Mapping the Underworld’ is a UK-based project, which aims to create a multi-sensor device that combines complementary technologies for remote buried utility service detection and location. One of the technologies to be incorporated in the device is low-frequency vibro-acoustics, and techniques for detecting buried infrastructure, in particular plastic water pipes, are being investigated. One of the proposed techniques involves excitation of the pipe at some known location with concurrent vibrational mapping of the ground surface in order to infer the location of the remainder of the pipe. In this paper, measurements made on a dedicated pipe rig are reported. Frequency response measurements relating vibrational velocity on the ground to the input excitation were acquired. Contour plots of the unwrapped phase revealed the location of the pipe to within 0.1-0.2 m. Magnitude contour plots revealed the excitation point and also the location of the pipe end. By examining the unwrapped phase gradients along a line above the pipe, it was possible to identify the wave-type within the pipe responsible for the ground surface vibration. Furthermore, changes in the ground surface phase speed computed using this method enabled the location of the end of the pipe to be confirmed.     

Invariant properties and rotation transformations of the GPR scattering matrix

We analyze the properties of the scattering matrix associated with the incident and scattered electric fields used in GPR. The elements of the scattering matrix provide information produced by different polarizations of the incident wave field. Rotationally invariant quantities such as trace, determinant and Frobenius norm lead to images that combine the information contained in the four elements of the scattering matrix in a mathematically simple and sound manner. The invariant quantities remove the directional properties implicit in the dipolar field used in GPR allowing the application of standard processing techniques designed for scalar fields, such as those used in seismic data processing. We illustrate the non-directional properties of the invariants using a 3D simulation of the wavefield produced by a point scatterer. The estimation of the azimuth angle of elongated targets is also explored using rotation transformations that maximize alternatively the co-polarized or the cross-polarized responses. The angle estimation is essentially an unstable process, particularly if low amplitudes or noisy data are involved. We apply the Frobenius norm 6S6_F as a criterion for selection of the best amplitudes to use for a more stable and significant angle estimation. The performance of our formulation was tested with synthetic data produced by a 3D model of an air-filled metal pipe buried in a homogeneous halfspace. The images resulting from the invariants show a clear diffraction hyperbola suitable for a scalar wavefield migration, while the azimuth of the pipe is neatly resolved for amplitudes selected with 6S6_F ≥ 0.4. A field experiment conducted above an aqueduct pipe illustrates the proposed methods with real data. The images obtained from the invariants are better than those from the individual elements of the scattering matrix. The azimuth estimated using our formulation is in agreement with the probable orientation of the aqueduct. Finally, a field experiment above a buried air-filled barrel shows that combining the information in the way proposed in this work may lead to an improved image of the subsurface target, the cost to pay is the lost of directional information contained in the scattering matrix. In general, we claim that the methods proposed in this work can be useful to analyze the information acquired by multicomponent GPR surveys using standard scalar wavefield algorithms.     

Soil pipe collapses in a loess pasture of Goodwin Creek watershed,Mississippi: role of soil properties and past land use

Little is known about the association of soil pipe collapse features with soil properties or land use history. Three loess covered catchments in northern Mississippi, USA were characterized to investigate these relationships. Soil pipe collapses were characterized for their size, type feature and spatial location along with soil properties across the three catchments. Although mapped as the same soil, one of the catchments did not contain pipe collapse features while the other two had 29.4 and 15.4 pipe collapses per hectare. These loess soils contained fragipan layers that are suspected of perching water, thereby initiating the piping processes. Pipe collapses associated with subsurface flow paths were not always consistent with surface topography. The surface layer tended to be non‐erodible while layers below, even the upper fragipan layers, were susceptible to erosion by pipeflow. Soil properties of the lowest fragipan layer were highly variable but tended to prevent further downward erosion of soil pipes and thus formed a lower boundary for gullies. Middle to lower landscape positions in one of the piped catchments contained anthropic soils that were highly erodible. These anthropic soils were previously gullies that were filled‐in in the 1950s when forested areas, assumed to have been established when land was previously converted from crop to forest land, were converted to pasture. Three decades after this land use change from forest to pasture, pipe collapses became evident. In contrast, the adjacent catchment that does not exhibit pipe collapse features experienced severe sheet and rill erosion prior to the 1930s while in cotton production. The surface horizons above the lower fragipan layer were completely removed during this period, thus the top‐soil layer that tends to form a bridge above soil pipes in the more erodible subsoil layers was removed. This study showed that knowledge of soil characteristics or topography alone do not explain the distribution of soil pipe collapses as past land use can play a definitive role. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial distribution of pipe collapses in Goodwin Creek Watershed,Mississippi

The internal erosion of soil pipes can induce pipe collapses that affect soil erosion processes and landform evolution. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of pipe collapses in agricultural fields of Goodwin Creek watershed. Ground survey was carried out to detect pipe collapses, and the location, size and surface elevation was measured with differential GPS. A total of 143 of the 145 pipe collapses were found in cropland, and the density was approximately 0.58 collapses per hectare. The spatial distribution of pipe collapses was not uniform as pipe collapses were concentrated in the flat alluvial plains where the land use was dominated by cropland. One of the four parcels had 90% of the pipe collapses with a density of 7.7 collapses per hectare. The mean depth, area and volume of these pipe collapses were 0.12 m, 0.34 m² and 0.02 m³, respectively, and all these properties exhibited a skewed distribution. The drainage area–slope gradient equation, which has been widely used for erosion phenomenon prediction, did not represent pipe collapses in this study as the coefficient of determination was <0.01. This is clear evidence that subsurface flow is not represented by surface topographic characteristics. The pipe collapses were found to intercept runoff, thereby reducing the slope length factor by 6% and the drainage area by 7%. Both of these factors can reduce the sheet and rill erosion; however, the increased subsurface flow could enhance ephemeral gully erosion. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

A simplified analysis model for determining the seismic response of buried steel pipes at strike-slip fault crossings

The seismic response analysis of buried pipelines at fault crossings is a complex problem requiring nonlinear 3D soil-structure and large deformation analyses. Such analyses are computationally expensive and the results are hard to evaluate. Therefore, a simple numerical model is needed for engineering and design offices to determine the seismic demand of steel pipes at fault crossings. This paper presents a simplified numerical model for buried steel pipes crossing strike-slip faults and oriented perpendicular to the fault. Two pipes with different diameter to thickness (D/t) ratios and steel grades are used in the study. The proposed model permits plastic hinge formations in the pipe due to incrementally applied fault movements, allows determination of the critical length of the pipeline and measure strains developed on the tension and compression sides in the pipe. The model also considers the effect of bending as well as axial strains due to stretching.     

GPR spectral analysis for clay content evaluation by the frequency shift method

A recent approach relates the shift of the frequency peak of the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) spectrum with the increasing of the moisture content in the soil. The weakness characterizing this approach is represented by the needs of high resolution signals, whereas GPR spectra are affected by low resolution. The novelty introduced by this work is twofold. First, we evidence that clay content information is present in the location where the maximum amplitude of the GPR spectra occurs. Then, we propose three super resolution methods, namely parabolic, triangular, and sinc-based interpolators, to further refine the location of the frequency peak. In fact, it is really important to be able to find this location quite precisely, to obtain accurate estimates of clay content. We show that the peak location can be found best through sinc-interpolation in the frequency domain of the measured data. Our experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach to resolve a frequency shift in the GPR spectrum, even for a small amount of clay.     

Analysis of repeated-load laboratory tests on buried plastic pipes in sand

This paper describes a laboratory model test carried out on high-density polyethylene (HDPE), small diameter pipes buried in trenches, which subjected to repeated loadings to simulate the vehicle loads. Deformation of the pipe was recorded at eight points on the circumference of the tested pipes to measure the radial deformations and detect cross-sectional pipe profiles. Also settlement of the soil surface during the test up to 1000 cycles of loadings was recorded, until its value become stable or the excessive settlement was happened. The parameters varied in the testing program include height of buried depth, relative density of the sand and intensity of stress on the soil surface. The influence of various repeated loads (with magnitude of 250, 400 and 550 kPa) at relative densities of 42%, 57% and 72% in different embedded depth of 1.5–3 times of pipe diameter were investigated. Based on the results, in medium and dense sand relative density, the pipe embedded in depth of 3.0D and 2.0D, respectively, mostly remained undamaged (the maximum value of VDS is less than 5%) and increased the safety of buried pipes under different magnitude of repeated loads. The records of the pipe deformation and settlement of the soil surface due to the repeated loads have been compared in different conditions. These values increase rapidly during the initial loading cycles by a rate decreasing significantly as the number of cycles increase. The influence of the first cycle was also found to be one of the main behavioral characteristics of buried pipes under repeated loads. The ratio of deformation of pipe at first cycle to last cycle changes from 0.60 to 0.85 in different of tests. Finally for the obtained results, a non-linear power model has been developed to estimate the vertical diametral strain of buried pipe and settlement of the soil surface based on the model test data. It should be noted that only one type of pipe and one type of sand are used in laboratory tests.     

Stakeholder needs for ground penetrating radar utility location

In the UK alone there are millions of miles of underground utilities with often inaccurate, incomplete, or non-existent location records that cause significant health and safety problems for maintenance personnel, together with the potential for large, unnecessary, social and financial costs for their upkeep and repair. This has led to increasing use of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for utility location, but without detailed consideration of the degree of location accuracy required by stakeholders — i.e. all those directly involved in streetworks ranging from utility owners to contractors and surveyors and government departments. In order to ensure that stakeholder requirements are incorporated into a major new UK study, entitled Mapping the Underworld, a questionnaire has been used to determine the current and future utility location accuracy requirements. The resulting data indicate that stakeholders generally require location tolerances better than 100 mm at depths usually extending down to 3 m, and more occasionally to 5 m, below surface level, providing significant challenges to GPR if their needs are to be met in all ground conditions. As well as providing much useful data on stakeholder needs, these data are also providing a methodology for assessment of GPR utility location in terms of the factor most important to them — the degree to which the equipment provides location within their own accuracy requirements.     

Determination of the role of entrapped air in water flow in a closed soil pipe using a laboratory experiment

Soil pipes, continuous macropores parallel to the soil surface, are an important factor in hillslope hydrological processes. However, the water flow dynamics in soil pipes, especially closed soil pipes, are not well understood. In this study, the water and air dynamics within closed soil pipes have been investigated in a bench‐scale laboratory experiment by using a soil box with an artificial acrylic soil pipe. In order to grasp the state of water and air within the soil pipe, we directly measured the existing soil pipe flow and air pressure in the soil pipe. The laboratory experiment showed that air in the soil pipe had an important role in the water flow in the closed soil pipe. When air entrapment occurred in the soil pipe before the soil matrix around the soil pipe was saturated with water, water intrusion in the soil pipe was prevented by air entrapped in the pipe, which inhibited the soil pipe flow. This air entrapment in the soil pipe was controlled by the soil water and air flow. Moreover, after the soil pipe flow started, the soil pipe was not filled completely with water even when the soil pipe was completely submerged under the groundwater table. The entrapped air in the soil pipe prevented further water intrusion in the soil pipe.     

Soil pipe flow tracer experiments: 2. Application of a streamflow transient storage zone model

Soil pipes are important subsurface flow pathways in many soil erosion phenomena. However, limited research has been performed on quantifying and characterizing their flow and transport characteristics. The objectives of this research were to determine the applicability of a streamflow model with transient storage in deriving flow and transport characteristics of soil pipes. Tracer data from pulse inputs were collected in four different soil pipes after a fluorescein dye was injected in the upstream end of each soil pipe network in three branches (west, middle, and east) of a main catchment and a back catchment in Goodwin Creek Experimental Watershed in Mississippi. Multiple sampling stations were positioned along each soil pipe network. The transient storage zone model OTIS‐P was executed inversely to estimate transport parameters by soil pipe reach such as the soil pipe cross‐sectional area (A), soil storage zone cross‐sectional area (A_s), and exchange rate between the soil pipe and the soil storage zone (α_s). Model convergence was achieved, and simulated breakthrough curves of the reaches were in good agreement with actual tracer data for eight of the nine reaches of the three branches of the Main Catchment and five of the seven reaches of the Back Catchment soil pipe. Simulation parameters for the soil pipe networks were similar to the range of values reported for flow and transport characteristics commonly observed in streams. Inversely, estimated soil pipe flow velocities were higher with increased tortuosity, which led to a smaller cross‐sectional areas predicted for the soil pipe flowpaths, while other parameters were not sensitive to tortuosity. In general, application of One‐Dimensional Transport with Inflow and Storage‐P to this unique soil pipe condition suggested larger transient storage (A_s and α_s) compared with most stream systems. This was hypothesized to be because of relatively higher ratio of the wetted perimeter to flow area in the soil pipe, the hydraulic roughness of the soil pipe, potential retention in collapsed portions of the pipe, and interaction with smaller preferential flow systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil pipe flow tracer experiments: 1. Connectivity and transport characteristics

Much debate has occurred in catchment hydrology regarding the connectivity of flow paths from upslope areas to catchment outlets. This study was conducted in two catchments, one with three upper branches, in a loess soil with a fragipan that fosters lateral flow and exhibits an extensive distribution of soil pipe collapse features. The study aimed to determine the connectivity of multiple soil pipe networks as well as determine pipe flow velocities during storm events. Fluorescein dye was injected directly into soil pipes at the upper most pipe collapse feature of four different hillslopes. Breakthrough curves (BTC) were determined by sampling multiple pipe collapse features downslope. The BTCs were used to determine the ‘average’ (centre of mass) and ‘maximum’ (first arrival) flow velocities. This study confirmed that these catchments contain individual continuous soil pipe networks that extend over 190 m and connect the upper most hillslopes areas with the catchment outlet. While the flow paths are continuous, the individual pipe networks consist of alternating reaches of subsurface flow through soil pipes and reaches of surface flow through gullies formed by pipe collapses. In addition, flow can be occurring both through the subsurface soil pipes simultaneous with surface flow generated by artesian flow from the soil pipes. The pipe flow velocities were as high as 0.3 m/s, which was in the range of streamflow velocities. These pipe flow velocities were also in the range of velocities observed in pinhole erosion tests suggesting that these large, mature soil pipes are still actively eroding. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A model for stress-controlled pipe growth

The rock mechanics theory for deformation of underground mining excavations under high stress conditions can be used to explain the growth and geometry of volcanic pipes. In an underground excavation stress concentrates greatest on the sides of an excavation perpendicular to the principal vector of compression. If the stress is high enough fractures will develop causing scaling of the tunnel sidewalls and tunnel growth perpendicular to the principal vector of compression. Pre-existing structures aid the physical mechanisms of pipe growth such as gravitational collapse, explosive fragmentation and turbulent erosion; and by reducing the strength of the rock mass should also aid stress-induced scaling. Universal Distinct Element Code numerical modelling demonstrated in this study reproduces the stress conditions around a circular pipe under uniaxial compression and simulates pipe growth as wedges bounded by failed pre-existing joints form around the pipe and are “assimilated” into the pipe. The results show how a volcanic pipe will tend to grow perpendicular to the principal vector of compression if the internal magma pressure is low or absent. The orientations of the pre-existing joints affect the exact direction of pipe growth in a predictable manner. Examples from other publications demonstrate that the model is consistent even in extensional tectonic environments. Case studies from kimberlite occurrences in the Limpopo Belt, at Finsch Mine and the Gross Brukkaros Volcanic Complex demonstrate that dykes and magmatic bodies of kimberlite with high overpressures during emplacement normally have geometries trending near parallel to the principal vector of compression. Yet pipes or parts of pipes that underwent strong underpressures during emplacement (often ending up comprising fragmental volcaniclastic infill) have an elongation near perpendicular to the same vector. Thus the stress-induced pipe growth model is demonstrated to be important for some pipes. The study of volcanic pipe and dyke shapes can therefore be used to determine the stress regime at the time of emplacement, and to distinguish between kimberlite occurrences formed at different times within different stress tensors.     

The application of GPR and ERI in combination with exposure logging and retrodeformation analysis to characterize sinkholes and reconstruct their impact on fluvial sedimentation

This work illustrates the practicality of investigating sinkholes integrating data gathered by ground penetrating radar (GPR), electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and trenching or direct logging of the subsidence‐affected sediments in combination with retrodeformation analysis. This mutidisciplinary approach has been tested in a large paleosinkhole developed during the deposition of a Quaternary terrace on salt‐bearing evaporites. The subsidence structure, exposed in an artificial excavation, is located next to Puilatos, a village that was abandoned in the 1970s due to severe subsidence damage. Detailed logging of the exposure revealed that the subsidence structure corresponds to an asymmetric sagging and collapse paleosinkhole with no clear evidence of recent activity. The sedimentological and structural relationships together with the retrodeformation analysis indicate that synsedimentary subsidence controlled channel location, the development of a palustrine environment and local changes in the channel pattern. GPR profiles were acquired using an array of systems with different antenna frequencies, including some recently developed shielded antennas with improved vertical resolution and penetration depth. Although radargrams imaged the faulted sagging structure and provided valuable data on fault throw, they did not satisfactorily image the complex architecture of the fluvial deposit. ERI showed lower resolution but higher penetration depth when compared to GPR, roughly capturing the subsidence structure and yielding information on the thickness of the high‐resistivity alluvium and the nature of the underlying low‐resistivity karstic residue developed on top of the halite‐bearing evaporitic bedrock. Data comparison allows the assessment of the advantages and limitations of these complementary techniques, highly useful for site‐specific sinkhole risk management. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

THE DELINEATION OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL SHALLOW GEOMETRY OF ACTIVE FAULT BASED ON TLS AND GPR: A CASE STUDY OF AN NORMAL FAULT ON THE NORTH MARGIN OF MAOYABA BASIN IN LITANG,WESTERN SICHUAN PROVINCE

It is crucial to reveal the surface traces and activity of active faults by obtaining high-precision microtopography and three-dimensional shallow geometry. However, limited by the traditional geological investigation methods in the field and geological condition factors, the measurement method on microtopography and shallow geometry of active fault is badly insufficient. In this study, the TLS and GPR are firstly used comprehensively to delineate the microtopography and shallow geometry of the normal fault scarp on the north margin of Maoyaba Basin in Litang. Firstly, the vertical displacements of two landforms produced by the latest two periods of normal faulting and the two-dimensional GPR profiles are obtained separately. Secondly, the three-dimensional measurement method of active fault based on TLS and GPR is preliminarily established. On this basis, three-dimensional model of fault scarp and three-dimensional images of subsurface geometry are also obtained. These data all reveal a graben structure at normal fault scarps. Thirdly, the fusion and interpretation of three-dimensional data from the surface and subsurface are realized. The study results show:1)the vertical displacements of the T₁ and T₂ terraces by the normal fault movement is 1.4m and 5.7m, the GPR profile shows a typical fault structure and indicates the existence of small graben structure with a maximum width of about 40m in the shallow layer, which further proves that it is a normal fault. 2)the shallow geometry of the normal fault scarp can be more graphically displayed by the three-dimensional radar images, and it also makes the geometry structure of the fault more comprehensive. The precise location and strike of faults F₁ and F₂ on the horizontal surface are also determined in the three-dimensional radar images, which further proves the existence of small graben structure, indicating the extensional deformation characteristics in the subsurface of the fault scarps. Furthermore, the distribution of small graben structure on the surface and subsurface is defined more precisely. 3)the integrated display of microgeomorphology and shallow geometry of normal fault scarp is realized based on the three-dimensional point cloud and GPR data. The fusion of the point cloud and GPR data has obvious advantages, for the spatial structure, morphological and spectral features from the point cloud can improve the recognition and interpretation accuracy of GPR images. The interpreted results of the GPR profiles could minimize the transformation of the surface topography by the external environment at the most extent, restore the original geomorphology, relocate the position and trend of faults on the surface and constrain the width of deformation zones under the surface, the geological structure, and the fault dislocation, etc. In a word, the TLS and GPR can quickly and efficiently provide the spatial data with multi-level and multi-visual for non-destructive inspection of the microgeomorphology and shallow structure for the active fault in a wide range, and for the detection of active fault in the complex geological environments, and it is helpful to improve the accuracy and understanding of the investigation and research on microtopography and shallow geometry of active faults. What's more, it also offers important data and method for more comprehensive identification and understanding of the distribution, deformation features, the behaviors of active faults and multi-period paleoseismicity. Therefore, to continuously explore and improve this method will significantly enhance and expand the practicability and application prospects of the method in the quantitative and elaborate studies of active faults.     

Effect of air mobility in a soil pipe on water flow through a model hillslope after pipe clogging

Soil pipes (continuous macropores expanding laterally in the soil subsurface) are a key factor controlling hillslope water cycles and sediment transport. Soil pipes usually enhance slope stability under rainfall events through their high water drainage ability, and pipe clogging by sediments is regarded as a risk for slope failure. In this study, we conducted a bench-scale pipe clogging experiment to clarify the effect of air mobility in soil pipes on water flow and water pressure build-up in the slope at the clogged point. Before pipe clogging, the soil pipe drained rainwater effectively and lowered the groundwater table. After the pipe clogging event, the mobility of air in the soil pipe before the clogging determined the water flow in the slope. When the air in the soil pipe connected to the atmosphere and moved freely, the water level in the soil pipe increased at the pipe clogging, and water pressure build-up was limited near the pipe outlet. On the other hand, when air in the soil pipe was entrapped by the clogging, water pressure suddenly increased, and the groundwater table of the whole slope rose correspondingly. This study clearly demonstrated the importance of pipe morphology with respect to air connectivity between the pipe and atmosphere to elucidate the water flow and slope stability during the pipe clogging event. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.