A simulation study of the role of raindrop erosion in the formation of desert pavements

A simple model of raindrop erosion—the combined effects of the detachment of sediment by raindrops and its transport by splash or by overland flow—is developed to examine the role of this process in the formation of desert pavements. Application of the model to soils in areas of existing pavement initially simulates the formation of pavements, but the changing sediment size distributions lead to the subsequent destruction of these modelled surfaces. An improved model that accounts for the feedback effects of the changing size distributions on infiltration and microtopography is then developed. Incorporating these effects allows simulated pavements to be maintained over longer periods. The model yields desert pavements whose particle size compositions differ in response to differences in initial soil characteristics, slope and rainfall intensity. This model is tested against empirical data from a site where there is intershrub pavement and associated mounds of fines beneath desert shrubs. The results successfully predict the accumulation of fines under shrubs but underestimate the development of the pavement between shrubs. These findings suggest that the raindrop erosion mechanism on its own cannot account for the development of the pavement and that some other mechanism leading to the surface concentration of coarse particles must also be operating.     

Mosaic desert pavement influences water infiltration and vegetation distribution on fluvial fan surfaces

Desert pavements (DPs) are critical for maintaining ecological stability and promoting near-surface hydrological cycling in arid regions. However, few studies have focused on eco-hydrological processes of DPs in the ecological systems of fluvial fans. Although DP surfaces appear to be barren and flat, we found that the surfaces are characterized by surface mosaic patterns of desert pavement (mosaic DP) and bare ground (mosaic BG). We investigated the effects of mosaic DP on water infiltration and vegetation distribution at six sites in fluvial fans (one on a hillside and five within the sectors of fans) along a southwest belt transect in northern Linze County, in the central Hexi Corridor (China). We found significant differences in mosaic DP between the hillside and sector sites in terms of pavement thickness and vesicular horizon thickness (Av thickness), particle composition, and bulk density, although significant differences were absent for mass soil water content, gravel coverage, and surface gravel size. The mosaic DP inhibited water infiltration by the pavement layer, where the sorptivity (S), initial infiltration rate (i_int), steady-state infiltration rate (i_sat) and infiltration time (T) averaged 1.19 cm/min^-0.5, 0.64 cm/min, 0.13 cm/min and 12.76 min, respectively. Where the pavement layer was scalped, the S, i_int, and i_sat increased by 0.27 cm/min^-0.5, 0.52 cm/min, and 0.40 cm/min, respectively, and the T reduced by 7.42 min. Water infiltration was mainly controlled by the pavement layer thickness (+), Av thickness (−), surface gravel coverage (−), fine earth (+) and fine gravel (−) in the pavement layer. The DP surfaces only had a sparse covering of shrubs, but an abundance of herbs. Few shrubs were present on the mosaic DP, but a greater number of shrubs and herbs grew on the mosaic BG. It can be concluded that DPs can maintain vegetation stability for different surface mosaic patterns. This study deepens our understanding of the eco-hydrological cycle of DP landscapes in arid regions.     

Design,manufacture and calibration of the SARI portable rainfall simulator for field and laboratory experiments

The Simulator of Artificial RaInfall (SARI) rainfall simulator (RS) is a newly designed, constructed and calibrated, portable, two-nozzle RS with low water consumption, accurate measurement, easy management and low cost. The raindrop size distribution and velocity and mean rainfall intensity were measured. The best rainfall spatial distribution was achieved with nozzles separated by 50, 60 and 70 cm, and with oscillation angles of 30, 45 and 60°, at a pressure of 60 kPa. The uniformity coefficient varied from 57 to 61% and rainfall intensity from 48 to 101 mm h^?1. The raindrop diameter varied from 0.2 to 9.9 mm. The raindrop velocity at the optimum pressure of 60 kPa, which was measured with high-speed photography, ranged from 1.1 to 7.1 m s^?1. Comparison with other RSs shows that the SARI simulator is a suitable apparatus to research soil erosion and runoff generation under laboratory and field conditions.     

Dependence of shrub canopy water storage on raindrop size in revegetated desert

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate canopy water storage (CWS) of the co-dominant shrubs in the revegetation of sand dunes in northwest China. Our results indicated that CWS differed among the xerophyte taxa studied. The average CWS increased exponentially with decreased raindrop size. The time course of CWS in terms of leaf area indicated that Artemisia ordosica attains its peak value of 0.48 mm within 170 min. The corresponding values for Caragana korshinskii and Hedysarum scoparium were 0.38 mm and 178 min, and 0.32 mm and 161 min, respectively, implying that A. ordosica had a higher CWS than C. korshinskii and H. scoparium. Dry biomass was a desirable predictor for estimation of CWS for C. korshinskii and H. scoparium, and shrub volume for A. ordosica. Our results show that the dependence of CWS on raindrop size varied in accordance with the shrub canopy structure.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz     

Laboratory experiments of sediment transport from bare soil with a rill

Abstract

Mathematical models developed for quantification of sediment transport in hydrological watersheds require data collected through field or laboratory experiments, but these are still very rare in the literature. This study aims to collect such data at the laboratory scale. To this end, a rainfall simulator equipped with nozzles to spray rainfall was constructed, together with an erosion flume that can be given longitudinal and lateral slopes. Eighty experiments were performed, considering microtopographical features by pre-forming a rill on the soil surface before the start of each experiment. Medium and fine sands were used as soil, and four rainfall intensities (45, 65, 85 and 105 mm h^-1) were applied in the experiments. Rainfall characteristics such as uniformity, granulometry, drop velocity and kinetic energy were evaluated; flow and sediment discharge data were collected and analysed. The analysis shows that the sediment transport rate is directly proportional to rainfall intensity and slope. In contrast, the volumetric sediment concentration stays constant and does not change with rainfall intensity unless the slope changes. These conclusions are restricted to the conditions of experiments performed under rainfall intensities between and 105 mm h^-1 for medium and fine sands in a 136-cm-wide, 650-cm-long and 17-cm-deep erosion flume with longitudinal and lateral slopes varying between 5 and 20%.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor G. Mahé

Citation Aksoy, H., Unal, N.E., Cokgor, S., Gedikli, A., Yoon, J., Koca, K., Inci, S.B., Eris, E., and Pak, G., 2013. Laboratory experiments of sediment transport from bare soil with a rill. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (7), 1505–1518.     

Alignment of stone‐pavement clasts by unconcentrated overland flow – implications of numerical and physical modelling

The crucial role of stone pavements in arid environments for aeolian or alluvial processes and as numerical dating tools is increasingly acknowledged. This role is based on the assumption that stone pavements are stable landforms, formed gradually over time and predominantly by vertical processes. However, this is challenged by evidence of stone‐pavement clast reworking or burial. Bimodal, mostly slope aspect‐symmetrical clast orientation is a frequent phenomenon in various study areas. It implies that stone pavements may be influenced by unidirectional lateral processes besides vertical ones. Here, the finding of lateral processes contributing to stone‐pavement evolution is supported by numerical modelling and physical experiments. These unequivocally show that unconcentrated overland flow can transport clasts to form a closely packed stone mosaic with characteristics similar to those of natural stone pavements. The commonly observed length‐axes orientation angle of 40 ± 14° for natural stone‐pavement clasts is consistently reproduced by angle‐dependent force equilibrium. Monte Carlo runs confirm the natural scatter and allow characterization of the control parameters of clast orientation. The model explains up to 70% of the natural variance. It is further validated by flume experiments, which confirm model predictions of single object orientation angles. Experiments with multiple objects yield artificial stone pavements with properties similar to those found in the field. The unidirectional lateral process acting on natural stone pavements requires the presence of a vesicular horizon. This underlines the tight genetic coupling of this common epipedon feature and the clast cover. The presented findings highlight the role of stone pavements as process and environment proxies. However, stone pavements represent information since the last surface disturbance only. This has to be considered when using them as age indicators. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of detachment and sediment transport capacity of runoff by field experiments on a silt loam soil

The detachment capacity (D_c) and transport capacity (T_c) of overland flow are important variables in the assessment of soil erosion. They determine respectively the lower and upper limit of sediment transport by runoff and therefore control detachment and deposition pro‐cesses. In this study, the detachment and transport capacity of runoff was investigated by rainfall simulations and overland flow experiments on small field plots. On the bare field plots, it was found that T_c was strongly related to total runoff discharge. This was also observed for the plots covered by maize residues, but T_c was less due to the lower runoff velocity. A simple regression equation was derived to estimate T_c for both bare and covered soil. Comparing our observations with T_c equations mentioned in the literature revealed that T_c equations based on laboratory experiments overestimated, on average, our measurements. Although T_c can be assessed more easily in laboratory experiments, the applicability of the results to field conditions remains questionable. Detachment by runoff was also related to total runoff discharge. The D_c values were, however, 4–50 times smaller than the T_c at corresponding high and low runoff discharge. This indicates that detachment by runoff constitutes only part of the transported sediment. Interrill erosion supplies an important additional amount of sediment. In this study, however, only sealed soils were considered. In the case of freshly tilled, loose soils, the D_c of runoff may be larger, resulting in a larger contribution to the total soil loss. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field investigation on rilling in the experimental Sparacia area,South Italy

In this paper the results of a field investigation on rilling carried out in the experimental Sparacia area are reported. The measurements were made on a plot 6 m wide and 22 m long subjected to natural rainfalls. For ten rainfalls the total soil loss (interrill and rill erosion) was collected in a storage system consisting of two tanks arranged in series at the base of the plot. Rill morphology (rill length and cross‐sections) was measured for five rainfall events, while the rill profile was surveyed for three events. First the contribution of each component (rill and interrill erosion) to total soil loss was established. Then the analysis allowed establishment of a power relationship between the rill length and the rill volume. Finally, for three events detailed information on rill erosion and rill morphology allowed verification of the applicability of WEPP and estimation of the rill erodibility constant. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Evaluation of a wind erosion model in a desert area of northern Asia by eddy covariance

For the first time, vertical fluxes of mineral dust measured by Eddy Covariance in two desert sites of Northern Asia have been used to test the performances of a wind erosion model in the field. Soil parameters required by the model were obtained through field and laboratory determinations. Model predictions and direct measurements have been compared. The main finding was that the direction of the horizontal wind relative to the orientation of nebkhas played a crucial role in determining the emission of particles in one of the investigated sites. Being unable to simulate such interaction, the model generally overestimated the actual emission. It provided, instead, reliable predictions (r² = 0·87) when the wind direction was suitable in detaching loose erodible elements placed on nebkhas thanks to their normal orientation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rain event properties in nature and in rainfall simulation experiments: a comparative review with recommendations for increasingly systematic study and reporting

In hydrology and geomorphology, less attention has been paid to rain event properties such as duration, mean and peak rain rate than to rain properties such as drop size or kinetic energy. A literature review shows a lack of correspondence between natural and simulated rain events. For example, 26 studies that report event statistics from substantial records of natural rain reveal a mean rain rate of just 3·47 mm h^?1 (s.d. 2·38 mm h^?1). In 17 comparable studies dealing with extreme rain rates including events in cyclonic, tropical convective, and typhoon conditions, a mean maximum rain rate (either hourly or mean event rain rate) of 86·3 mm h^?1 (s.d. 57·7 mm h^?1) is demonstrated. However, 49 studies using rainfall simulation involve a mean maximum rain rate of 103·1 mm h^?1 (s.d. 81·3 mm h^?1), often sustained for > 1 h, exceeding even than of extreme rain events, and nearly 30 times the mean rain rate in ordinary, non‐exceptional, rain events. Thus rainfall simulation is often biased toward high rain rates, and many of the rates employed (in several instances exceeding 150 mm h^?1) appear to have limited relevance to ordinary field conditions. Generally, simulations should resemble natural rain events in each study region. Attention is also drawn to the raindrop arrival rate at the surface. In natural rain, this is known to vary from < 100 m^?2 s^?1 to > 5000 m^?2 s^?1. Arrival rate may need to be added to the list of parameters that must be reproduced realistically in rainfall simulation studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reexamination of the rate of desert varnish formation reported south of barstow,California

Desert varnish is reported to have formed in 25 years on desert pavement stones in an abandoned road south of Barstow, California. It has been discovered that stones buried close to the surface of the roadbed and adjacent desert pavement bear the same dark desert varnish as the exposed stones at the surface. This and other observations refute the claim of 25 year old varnish.     

A one‐dimensional model for simulating armouring and erosion on hillslopes: 1. model development and event‐scale dynamics

This paper presents an erosion model, ARMOUR, which simulates time‐varying runoff, erosion, deposition and surface armour evolution down a hillslope either as a result of a single erosion event or as the cumulative impact of many events over periods up to decades. ARMOUR simulates sediment transport for both cohesive and non‐cohesive soil and dynamically differentiates between ‘transport‐limited’ and ‘source‐limited’ processes. A variety of feasible processes for entrainment of different size classes can be modelled and evaluated against data. The generalized likelihood of uncertainty estimation (GLUE) technique was used to calibrate and validate ARMOUR using data collected during rainfall simulator experiments at two contrasting sites: (1) non‐cohesive stony sediments at Ranger Uranium Mine, Northern Territory, Australia; and (2) cohesive silty sediments at Northparkes Gold Mine, NSW, Australia. The spatial and temporal variations of model predictions within the individual runoff events showed that some entrainment processes could not model the spikes in concentration and subsequent depletion, while the hiding model of Andrews and Parker best simulated the concentration trends for both calibrated and independent runoff events. ARMOUR also successfully captured the coarsening of the surface material, though small, over the duration of the rainfall simulator trials. This was driven by the depletion of the finest size class of the soil. For a constant discharge, ARMOUR simulated higher sediment flux at the start of the storm with the sediment flux and concentration diminishing with time. For natural rainfall a power law relationship between sediment flux and discharge was observed. The calibration exercise showed that sediment concentration and discharge alone are insufficient to calibrate all aspects of the physics, in particular the armour depth. This appears to be because the armouring during the short duration events is driven by depletion of the finest classes of the sediments (diameters less then 62·5 mm), which are not normally measured. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TSR promotes the formation of oil-cracking gases: Evidence from simulation experiments

TSR is an interaction between sulfate and hydrocarbons, occurring widely in carbonate reservoirs. Because this process can produce a large amount of noxious acidic gases like H2S, it has drawn seri- ous concern recently. This paper reports an experiment that simulated an interaction between different minerals and hydrocarbon fluids under different temperature and time using a confined gold-tube system. The results showed that the main mineral that initiates TSR is MgSO4, and adding a certain amount of NaCl into the reactive system can also promote TSR and yield more H2S. The H2S produced in TSR is an important incentive for the continuous oxidative degradation of crude oils. For instance, the yield of oil-cracking gases affected by TSR was twice of that not affected by TSR while the yield of TSR-affected methane was even higher, up to three times of that unaffected by TSR. The carbon iso- topes of wet gases also became heavier. All of the above illustrated that TSR obviously motivates the oxidative degradation of crude oils, which makes the gaseous hydrocarbon generation sooner and increases the gas dryness as well. The study on this process is important for understanding the TSR mechanism and the mechanism of natural gas generation in marine strata.     

Influence of grass soil cover on water runoff and soil detachment under rainfall simulation in a sub‐humid South African degraded rangeland

In most regions of the world overgrazing plays a major role in land degradation and thus creates a major threat to natural ecosystems. Several feedbacks exist between overgrazing, vegetation, soil infiltration by water and soil erosion that need to be better understood. In this study of a sub‐humid overgrazed rangeland in South Africa, the main objective was to evaluate the impact of grass cover on soil infiltration by water and soil detachment. Artificial rains of 30 and 60 mm h^?1 were applied for 30 min on 1 m² micro‐plots showing similar sandy‐loam Acrisols with different proportions of soil surface coverage by grass (Class A: 75–100%; B: 75–50%; C: 50–25%; D: 25–5%; E: 5–0% with an outcropping A horizon; F: 0% with an outcropping B horizon) to evaluate pre‐runoff rainfall (Pr), steady state water infiltration (I), sediment concentration (SC) and soil losses (SL). Whatever the class of vegetal cover and the rainfall intensity, with the exception of two plots probably affected by biological activity, I decreased regularly to a steady rate <2 mm h^?1 after 15 min rain. There was no significant correlation between I and Pr with vegetal cover. The average SC computed from the two rains increased from 0·16 g L^?1 (class A) to 48·5 g L^?1 (class F) while SL was varied between 4 g m^?2 h^?1 for A and 1883 g m^?2 h^?1 for F. SL increased significantly with decreasing vegetal cover with an exponential increase while the removal of the A horizon increased SC and SL by a factor of 4. The results support the belief that soil vegetation cover and overgrazing plays a major role in soil infiltration by water but also suggest that the interrill erosion process is self‐increasing. Abandoned cultivated lands and animal preferred pathways are more vulnerable to erosive processes than simply overgrazed rangelands. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling of the effect of flow depth on sediment discharged by rain‐impacted flows from sheet and interrill erosion areas: a review

Sediment, nutrients and pollutants discharged from sheet and interrill erosion areas by rain‐impacted flows may influence water quality in streams and rivers. The depth of water on the soil surface influences the capacity of raindrop impacts to detach soil material underlying rain‐impacted flows, and a number of so‐called process‐based and mechanistic models erroneously use equations on the basis of the effect of water depth on splash erosion to account for this effect. Also, a number of these models require complex mathematical solutions to make them operate and can only predict sediment composition and discharges well if many of their parameters are calibrated specifically to the situations where they are being applied. Experiments with rain‐impacted flows, where flow depth and velocity over eroding surfaces have been controlled, have been reported in the literature and provide more appropriate equations to account for the drop size – flow depth interactions that affect detachment and transport of particles in rain‐impacted flows. There is a need to develop modeling approaches that rely on relevant data obtained under well‐controlled flow conditions where flow depths and velocities are known. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Infiltration,runoff and sediment production in blanket peat catchments: implications of field rainfall simulation experiments

Blanket peat covers the headwaters of many major European rivers. Runoff production in upland blanket peat catchments is flashy with large flood peaks and short lag times; there is minimal baseflow. Little is known about the exact processes of infiltration and runoff generation within these upland headwaters. This paper presents results from a set of rainfall simulation experiments performed on the blanket peat moorland of the North Pennines, UK. Rainfall was simulated at low intensities (3–12 mm h^?1), typical of natural rainfall, on bare and vegetated peat surfaces. Runoff response shows that infiltration rate increases with rainfall intensity; the use of low‐intensity rainfall therefore allows a more realistic evaluation of infiltration rates and flow processes than previous studies. Overland flow is shown to be common on both vegetated and bare peat surfaces although surface cover does exert some control. Most runoff is produced within the top few centimetres of the peat and runoff response decreases rapidly with depth. Little vertical percolation takes place to depths greater than 10 cm owing to the saturation of the peat mass. This study provides evidence that the quickflow response of upland blanket peat catchments is a result of saturation‐excess overland flow generation. Rainfall–runoff response from small plots varies with season. Following warm, dry weather, rainfall tends to infiltrate more readily into blanket peat, not just initially but to the extent that steady‐state surface runoff rates are reduced and more flow takes place within the peat, albeit at shallow depth. Sediment erosion from bare peat plots tends to be supply limited. Seasonal weather conditions may affect this in that after a warm, dry spell, surface desiccation allows sediment erosion to become transport limited. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of soil properties on the erodibility of Belgian loamy soils: A study based on rainfall simulation experiments

Twenty soils from the Leuven region were tested in the laboratory with a rainfall simulator. Their texture varied from loam to loamy sand. On the basis of the results obtained, they were classified as a function of the runoff and splash erodibility. For every soil, several properties were determined and tentatively used to explain the classifications based on the runoff and splash erodibility. Significant negative correlations were found between silt content, aggregate stability, C_5–10 index, water content at saturation, and cohesion on the one side and erodibility on the other; a positive correlation was found between sand content and erodibility.     

The role of urban surfaces (permeable pavements) in regulating drainage and evaporation: development of a laboratory simulation experiment

Permeable pavements and similar stormwater control devices have not been exploited in the UK, in part because their adoption has been hindered by a lack of detailed knowledge of their hydrological performance. This paper describes a research programme that produced detailed information on the hydrological behaviour of a car park surface. The study involved the construction of full‐scale permeable pavement model car park structures and a rainfall simulator for use in the laboratory. A monitoring procedure was developed in order to measure inputs and changes in drainage, storage and evaporation over short and long time‐scales (2 hours to 3 months). A range of simulated rainfalls, which varied in intensity and duration, was applied to the model car park surfaces. Hydrological processes were monitored over an 18‐month period. Results demonstrated that evaporation, drainage and retention in the structures were strongly influenced by the particle size distribution of the bedding material and by water retention in the surface blocks. In general, an average of 55% of a one‐hour duration, 15 mm h⁻¹ rainfall event could be retained by an initially air‐dry structure. Subsequent simulations demonstrated that 30% of a one‐hour duration, 15 mm h⁻¹ rainfall event could be stored by an initially wet structure (with a minimum time interval between rainfall applications of 72 hours). Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Physically based modelling of sediment generation and transport under a large rainfall simulator

A series of large rainfall simulator experiments was conducted in 2002 and 2003 on a small plot located in an experimental catchment in the North Island of New Zealand. These experiments measured both runoff and sediment transport under carefully controlled conditions. A physically based hydrological modelling system (SHETRAN) was then applied to reproduce the observed hydrographs and sedigraphs. SHETRAN uses physically based equations to represent flow and sediment transport, and two erodibility coefficients to model detachment of soil particles by raindrop erosion and overland flow erosion. The rate of raindrop erosion also depended on the amount of bare ground under the simulator; this was estimated before each experiment. These erodibility coefficients were calibrated systematically for summer and winter experiments separately, and lower values were obtained for the summer experiments. Earlier studies using small rainfall simulators in the vicinity of the plot also found the soil to be less erodible in summer and autumn. Limited validation of model parameters was carried out using results from a series of autumn experiments. The modelled suspended sediment load was also sensitive to parameters controlling the generation of runoff from the rainfall simulator plot; therefore, we found that accurate runoff predictions were important for the sediment predictions, especially from the experiments where the pasture cover was good and overland flow erosion was the dominant mechanism. The rainfall simulator experiments showed that the mass of suspended sediment increased post‐grazing, and according to the model this was due to raindrop detachment. The results indicated that grazing cattle or sheep on steeply sloping hill‐country paddocks should be carefully managed, especially in winter, to limit the transport of suspended sediment into watercourses. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Field isotope investigations and numerical simulation of lake hydrodynamics

A three‐dimensional, numerical free‐surface‐flow simulation model is developed to investigate hydrodynamics of a lake and the predictive capabilities of the numerical model are validated by comparing them with field results obtained from Lake Naini, Uttar Pradesh, using environmental isotope (δ¹⁸O, δD and ³H) techniques. This has been carried out in order to understand the hydrodynamics of a lake (i.e. circulations, mixing and transport of water within the lake). Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.