CONTRIBUTIONS OF TUNNEL EROSION TO SEDIMENT YIELD IN A SEMI-ARID BASIN IN THE LOESS PLATEAU OF CHINA

1 INTRODUCTIONSubsurface erosion has been increasingly recognized as a significant hillslope geomorphologic process(Carson and ~y, 1972; McCaig, 1983;, Harvey, 1982;Bryan and Harvey, 1985; Crouch andMcGarrity, 1986; Walsh and Howeds, 1988). However, most of the studies were conducted in hubedareas, especially in Britain (e.g. Gilman and Newson, 1980; Jones, 1981; Wilson and Small, 1984; Jones,1987; Jones et al, 1997). Jones and Crane (1984) found that soil piping contributes about …     

Unique landslides (loess slide-flows) induced by an extreme rainstorm in 2018 on the Loess Plateau: A new geological hazard and erosion process

Currently, the vegetation has recovered well in most areas of the Loess Plateau in China, and soil erosion has significantly decreased. However, the heavy rainfall event in July 2018 triggered many instances of a unique type of loess landslides(i.e., slide-flows) on the gully-slopes with vegetation recovery in the Nanxiaohegou Basin on the Loess Plateau. This rainfall event was unusual and was a persistent heavy rainfall. The accumulated rainfall from 24 June to 10 July was 232.2 mm, which compr...     

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.     

Tunnel development over a 12 year period in a semi‐arid catchment of the Loess Plateau,China

The tunnel systems in a semi‐arid catchment of the Loess Plateau of China were repeatedly surveyed prior to the rainy seasons of 1989, 1999 and 2001. The surveys aimed to: (1) measure tunnel development over the 12 year period 1989–2001; (2) explore how the physiographical conditions affect the spatio‐temporal variability of tunnel development; and (3) to identify the geomorphic processes associated with tunnel development. The ultimate goal was to quantify the geomorphic significance of tunnel systems in the catchment. Over the 12 year period, the number of tunnel inlets was more than doubled and most of the newly increased inlets were initiated in the few catastrophic storm events. However, tunnel enlargement can occur in storm or inter‐storm periods, mainly through earth falls and slumps in inlets, and water erosion and roof cave‐in collapses in tunnel paths. Tunnel development varied with material properties, land uses and topographic conditions. Net tunnel erosion may contribute at least 25–30% of the catchment sediment yield and was mainly produced by the initiation and enlargement of tunnel inlets rather than tunnel paths. To protect the areas against tunnel erosion, terracing of the upper slopes seems to be more effective than planting vegetation on the lower slopes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

INITIATION AND DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES OF TUNNEL SYSTEMS IN THE HILLY LOESS REGION OF NORTHERN CHINA

1 INTRODUCTION Tunnel erosion or piping is very common in semi-arid areas. It is often associated with gully system development (e.g., Parker, 1965; Heede, 1971; Harvey, 1982; Crouch, 1983; Gutierrez et al., 1997). It may also become a severe soil conserv…     

The response law of far-field seismic ground motion of the Wenchuan earthquake and its damaging mechanism in the Loess Plateau

A series of housing collapses and other serious damage was caused by the 2008 Wenchuan M_S 8.0 earthquake in the seismic intensity Ⅵ areas of the Loess Plateau, which is hundreds of kilometers away from the epicenter, and which showed a remarkable seismic intensity anomaly. The seismic disasters are closely related to the seismic response characteristics of the site, therefore, the systematic study of the far-field seismic response law of the Wenchuan earthquake in the Loess Plateau is of great significance to prevent the far-field disaster of great earthquake. In this paper, the seismic acceleration records of several bedrock stations and loess stations from the seismogenic fault of the Wenchuan earthquake to the Loess Plateau were collected, and the attenuation law of ground motion along the propagation path and the characteristics of seismic response on the loess site are studied, and the mechanism of amplification effect of ground motion is analyzed based on the dynamic feature parameters of the loess site obtained through the HVSR method. Taking a typical loess site of thick deposit as the prototype, a series of shaking table tests of dynamic response of loess site models with different thicknesses were carried out. Amplification effect, spectral characteristics of acceleration in model sites were analyzed under the action of a far-field seismic wave of the Wenchuan earthquake. The results show that seismic attenuation on the propagation path along the NE strike of the seismogenic fault to the Loess Plateau is slower than that in other directions, and the predominant period range of ground motion on bedrock site of the Loess Plateau presents broadband characteristics. Because the natural periods of loess sites with thick deposits are within the predominant period range of bedrock input wave, loess sites appear significant amplification effect of ground motion, the horizontal acceleration of ground motion exceeds 0.1 ?g, the seismic intensity reaches 7°. The thicker the loess deposit is, the more significant the change of spectral characteristics of ground motion on loess sites, and the narrower the predominant period range of ground motion becomes, and the closer it is to the natural period of loess sites. Therefore, for some old houses on thick loess sites, the poor seismic performance and strong seismic response eventually led to their collapses and damages because their natural periods are very close to the predominant period of ground motion of the Wenchuan earthquake on thick loess sites; For these damaged high-rise buildings, the resonance effect might be the main reason for their damages because their natural periods are included in the predominant period range of ground motion of the Wenchuan earthquake on thick loess sites.These research results would provide a basis for seismic disasters prediction and evaluation and seismic design of construction engineering in the Loess Plateau.     

Loess erosion change modeling during heavy rainfall

A typical gully sub-basin with a complex geomorphological form is used to do a model test of gravity erosion of loess by considering the sequence of slopes in a prototype gully creating a sequence of underlying surface forms in the upper reaches. The results show that the runoff from heavy rainfall is the main external force for the erosion of loess, and also is an important influencing factor to stimulate and intensify the development of gravity erosion. The soil structure and the height of the...     

Sediment and solute transport on soil slope under simultaneous influence of rainfall impact and scouring flow

Soil erosion and nutrient losses with surface runoff in the loess plateau in China cause severe soil quality degradation and water pollution. It is driven by both rainfall impact and runoff flow that usually take place simultaneously during a rainfall event. However, the interactive effect of these two processes on soil erosion has received limited attention. The objectives of this study were to better understand the mechanism of soil erosion, solute transport in runoff, and hydraulic characteristics of flow under the simultaneous influence of rainfall and shallow clear‐water flow scouring. Laboratory flume experiments with three rainfall intensities (0, 60, and 120 mm h⁻¹) and four scouring inflow rates (10, 20, 30, and 40 l min⁻¹) were conducted to evaluate their interactive effect on runoff. Results indicate that both rainfall intensity and scouring inflow rate play important roles on runoff formation, soil erosion, and solute transport in the surface runoff. A rainfall splash and water scouring interactive effect on the transport of sediment and solute in runoff were observed at the rainfall intensity of 60 mm h⁻¹ and scouring inflow rates of 20 l min⁻¹. Cumulative sediment mass loss (Ms) was found to be a linear function of cumulative runoff volume (Wr) for each treatment. Solute transport was also affected by both rainfall intensity and scouring inflow rate, and the decrease in bromide concentration in the runoff with time fitted to a power function well. Reynolds number (Re) was a key hydraulic parameter to determine erodability on loess slopes. The Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficients (f) decreased with the Reynolds numbers (Re), and the average soil and water loss rate (M_l) increased with the Reynolds numbers (Re) on loess slope for both scenarios with or without rainfall impact. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

STUDY ON THE DYNAMIC PROCESS OF RILL EROSION OF LOESS SLOPE SURFACE

1 mTRODUCTIONAs a woridwide concem, excessive water erosion induces land degradation, causes losses of plantnutrients, and Ieads to off site enVironmental problems such as sedimentahon streams and reservoirs. mllerosion, which results from concentraed flow in a lindted and confined space, plays imPortant roles inthe erosion systCm on uPland areas. Data listed in Table l show its contribution and imPoftance to thetOtal slope soil losses. In the last decades, stodies on the physical mecha…     

MACROPORE FLOW AND MASS WASTING OF GULLIES IN THE LOESS PLATEAU, CHINA

Due to the extensive gullying from historically excessive erosion in the loess plateau of China, much of this region is being converted to native grass and shrub vegetation. Tunnel scour and mass wasting are important gully erosion processes resulting from preferential flow through macropores （ pores 〉 1 mm diameter）. The objective of this study is to assess the changes with time in macropore flow characteristics of soils on the Loess Plateau following conversion to grass vegetation and the associated degree of mass wasting of gully faces. Ridge areas that had been revegetated for 1 year, 6 years, and 〉 15 years following tilling, and for 6 years following contour-ditching and the adjacent gully faces were characterized for their macropore and soil matrix properties on a 50 cm by 50 cm area. The total number of macropores increased from 11.6/m^2 to 39.6/m2 from 1 to 6 years and to 51.6/m2 after 15 years of revegetation following tillage. The macroporosity increased from 0.0008 m^3/m^3 to 0.0018 m^3/m^3 from 1 to 6 years of revegetation following tillage but the lowest macroporosity （0.0005 m3/m3） was 6 years of revegetation following contour-ditching. The contourditched area had the lowest infiltration rate （95 m/d） through the soil matrix （areas without macropores） with the tilled areas having similar infiltration rates regardless of the number of years of revegetation （averaged 146 m/d）. Due to tunnel scour erosion of macropores during infiltration into the area revegetated for 1 year, pore diameters enlarged by more than 200% resulting in this condition having the highest individual macropore infiltration rates （7967 m/d）. Macropores in all other areas were stable with no tunnel scour erosion of macropores. The total capacity for infiltration through macropores increased significantly with time following revegetation. The number of macropores on the gully faces was triple （92.8/m2） and the macroporosity quadruple （0.004 m3/m3） that of the ridge surfaces. The upper gully faces exhibited 1.1 slumps m^-1 for a total soil loss of 48622 kg per ha.     

Landform‐oriented flow‐routing algorithm for the dual‐structure loess terrain based on digital elevation models

The loess landform in the Loess Plateau of China is with typical dual structure, namely, the upper smooth positive terrain and the lower cliffy negative terrain (P–N terrain for short). Obvious differences in their morphological feature, geomorphological mechanism, and hydrological process could be found in the both areas. Based on the differences, a flow‐routing algorithm that separately addresses the dual‐structure terrain would be necessary to encompass this spatial variation in their hydrological behaviour. This paper proposes a mixed flow‐routing algorithm to address aforementioned problems. First, the loess landform surface is divided into P–N terrains based on digital elevation models. Then, specific catchment area is calculated with the new algorithm to simulate the water flows in both positive and negative terrain areas. The mixed algorithm consists of the multiple flow‐routing algorithm (multiple‐flow direction) for positive areas and the D8 algorithm for negative areas, respectively. The approach is validated in two typical geomorphologic areas with low hills and dense gullies in the northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau. Four indices are used to examine the results, which show that the new algorithm is more suitable for loess terrain in simulating the spatial distribution of water accumulation, as well as in modeling the flow characteristics of the true surface by considering the morphological structures of the terrain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

RUNOFF GENERATION CHARACTERISTICS IN TYPICAL EROSION REGIONS ON THE LOESS PLATEAU

1 mTRODUCT1ONThe Loess Plateau in the central and westem China with an area of 430,(X)0 lQn2 is well known for itsancient cultUre and serious soil and water loss. About 287,(X)0 km2 of area in this region has an annualerosion be greatC than 1(XX) tlkIn2. The eroded soil totally amounts to more than 2.2 X l0' tons, amongwhich about l.6X 10' tons, on average, is delivered into the Yellow kiver mdeng the river one of thehighest sediment-laden rivers in the word. The serious soil erosion …     

FORMATION AND EROSION PROCESSES OF THE LOESS PLATEAU

IPROCESSANDZONINGOFLOESSACCUMULATIONLoessisatypicalkindofaeoliansediment,theprocessesofitsgeomorphicformationcanbesummarizedasfollows.l.lWell-distributedDustFalloutfromHighAltitudeThedustisdefinedasthefineparticles(<0.1mm)whichcanbeliftedandcarriedupasdustcloudsintheaiLIftheoriginallandsurfaceofaregionisanevenhighlandsurroundedbyriversandgullies,thefallingdustremainedonthesurfaceofthisevenhighland,butthedustfallingonslopesoftheriverandgullieswastransportedoutoftheregion.Onthet…     

Mineral composition and particle size distribution of river sediment and loess in the middle and lower Yellow River

Hyperconcentrated flows often occur in the middle and lower Yellow River(MLYR)and its tributaries,within which the main sediment source originates from the Loess Plateau of China due to serious water erosion.Little is known about the properties of river sediment that is transported by hyperconcentrated flows,particularly with respect to the mineral composition and size distribution.Samples of sediment and loess were collected in the northern,middle,and southern Loess Plateau and the mainstream and tributaries of the MLYR.A total of 18 loess samples and 24 river sediment samples were analyzed to determine their sediment size distribution and mineral composition.The bottom loess samples reflected the original sedimentary features of the Loess Plateau,and the median particle size reduced,and the clay content increased from the north to the south of the study region.The surface loess has been weathered under the action of wind and rainfall,and the clay particle content in the surface loess samples was higher than that in the undisturbed bottom loess.Erosion of the surface soil due to rainfall and surface runoff means that fine particles(mostly clay)have been washed away.The median diameter of surface loess particles was a little larger than that of the bottom loess particles where water erosion dominates.The particle size became coarser with increasing distance from the estuary in the MLYR,which reflects depositional sorting in the river channel.Significant logarithmic relations were found between the median diameter of the sediment particles and the i)non-clay mineral content and ii)clay mineral content.Thus,clay and non-clay mineral compositions can be conveniently estimated from the particle size distribution.     

DEM-based numerical modelling of runoff and soil erosion processes in the hilly–gully loess regions

For sake of improving our current understanding on soil erosion processes in the hilly–gully loess regions of the middle Yellow River basin in China, a digital elevation model (DEM)-based runoff and sediment processes simulating model was developed. Infiltration excess runoff theory was used to describe the runoff generation process while a kinematic wave equation was solved using the finite-difference technique to simulate concentration processes on hillslopes. The soil erosion processes were modelled using the particular characteristics of loess slope, gully slope, and groove to characterize the unique features of steep hillslopes and a large variety of gullies based on a number of experiments. The constructed model was calibrated and verified in the Chabagou catchment, located in the middle Yellow River of China and dominated by an extreme soil-erosion rate. Moreover, spatio-temporal characterization of the soil erosion processes in small catchments and in-depth analysis between discharge and sediment concentration for the hyper-concentrated flows were addressed in detail. Thereafter, the calibrated model was applied to the Xingzihe catchment, which is dominated by similar soil erosion processes in the Yellow River basin. Results indicate that the model is capable of simulating runoff and soil erosion processes in such hilly–gully loess regions. The developed model are expected to contribute to further understanding of runoff generation and soil erosion processes in small catchments characterized by steep hillslopes, a large variety of gullies, and hyper-concentrated flow, and will be beneficial to water and soil conservation planning and management for catchments dealing with serious water and soil loss in the Loess Plateau.     

RILL EROSION PROCESS AND RILL FLOW HYDRAULIC PARAMETERS

In the rill erosion process, run-on water and sediment from upslope areas, and rill flow hydraulic parameters have significant effects on sediment detachment and transport. However, there is a lack of data to quantify the effects of run-on water and sediment and rill flow hydraulic parameters on rill erosion process at steep hillslopes, especially in the Loess Plateau of China. A dual-box system, consisting of a 2-m-long feeder box and a 5-m-long test box with 26.8% slope gradient was used to quantify the effects of upslope runoff and sediment, and of rill flow hydraulic parameters on the rill erosion process. The results showed that detachment-transport was dominated in rill erosion processes; upslope runoff always caused the net rill detachment at the downslope rill flow channel, and the net rill detachment caused by upslope runoff increased with a decrease of runoff sediment concentration from the feeder box or an increase of rainfall intensity. Upslope runoff discharging into the rill flow channel or an increase of rainfall intensity caused the rill flow to shift from a stratum flow into a turbulent flow. Upslope runoff had an important effect on rill flow hydraulic parameters, such as rill flow velocity, hydraulic radius, Reynolds number, Froude number and the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient. The net rill detachment caused by upslope runoff increased as the relative increments of rill flow velocity, Reynolds number and Froude number caused by upslope runoff increased. In contrast, the net rill detachment decreased with an increase of the relative decrement of the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient caused by upslope runoff. These findings will help to improve the understanding of the effects of run-on water and sediment on the erosion process and to find control strategies to minimize the impact of run-on water.     

PHYSICAL PROCESS BASED SOIL EROSION MODEL IN A SMALL WATERSHED IN THE HILLY LOESS REGION

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Effects of rock fragment cover on hydrological processes under rainfall simulation in a semi‐arid region of China

Rock fragment cover has long been an important agricultural crop production technique on the Loess Plateau, China. Although this approach plays an important role in controlling hydrological processes and preventing soil erosion, inconsistent results have been recovered in this field. In this study, we investigated the effects of rock fragment cover on infiltration, run‐off, soil erosion, and hydraulic parameters using rainfall simulation in the field in a semi‐arid region of China. Two field plots encompassing 6 rock fragment coverages (0%, 10%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 40%), as well as 2 rock fragment positions and sizes were exposed to rainfall at a particular intensity (60 mm h^?1). The results of this study showed that increasing the rock fragment coverage with rock fragments resting on the soil surface increased infiltration but decreased run‐off generation and sediment yield. A contrasting result was found, however, when rock fragments were partially embedded into the soil surface; in this case, a positive relationship between rock fragment coverage and run‐off rate as well as a nonmonotonic relationship with respect to soil loss rate was recovered. The size of rock fragments also exerted a positive effect on run‐off generation and sediment yield but had a negative effect on infiltration. At the same time, both mean flow velocity and Froude number decreased with increasing rock fragment coverage regardless of rock fragment position and size, whereas both Manning roughness and Darcy–Weisbach friction factor were positively correlated. Results show that stream power is the most sensitive hydraulic parameter affecting soil loss. Combined with variance analysis, we concluded that the order of significance of rock fragment cover variables was position followed by coverage and then size. We also quantitatively incorporated the effects of rock fragment cover on soil loss via the C and K factors in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation. Overall, this study will enable the development of more accurate modelling approaches and lead to a better understanding of hydrological processes under rock fragment cover conditions.     

Changes in streamflow regimes and their responses to different soil and water conservation measures in the Loess Plateau watersheds,China

Investigating the changes in streamflow regimes in response to various influencing factors contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of hydrological processes in different watersheds and to water resource management strategies. This study examined streamflow regime changes by applying the indicators of hydrologic alteration method and eco-flow metrics to daily runoff data (1965–2016) from the Sandu, Hulu and Dali Rivers on the Chinese Loess Plateau, and then determined their responses to terracing, afforestation and damming. The Budyko water balance equation and the double mass curve method were used to separate the impacts of climate change and human activities on the mean discharge changes. The results showed that the terraced and dammed watersheds exhibited significant decreases in annual runoff. All hydrologic metrics indicated that the highest degree of hydrologic alteration was in the Sandu River watershed (terraced), where the monthly and extreme flows reduced significantly. In contrast, the annual eco-deficit increased significantly, indicating the highest reduction in streamflow among the three watersheds. The regulation of dams and reservoirs in the Dali River watershed has altered the flow regime, and obvious decreases in the maximum flow and slight increases in the minimum flow and baseflow indices were observed. In the Hulu River watershed (afforested), the monthly flow and extreme flows decreased slightly and were categorized as low-degree alteration, indicating that the long-term delayed effects of afforestation on hydrological processes. The magnitude of the eco-flow metrics varied with the alteration of annual precipitation. Climate change contributed 67.47% to the runoff reduction in the Hulu River watershed, while human activities played predominant roles in reducing runoff in the Sandu and Dali River watersheds. The findings revealed distinct patterns and causes of streamflow regime alteration due to different conservation measures, emphasizing the need to optimize the spatial allocation of measures to control soil erosion and utilize water resources on the Loess Plateau.     

The impact of flow discharge on the hydraulic characteristics of headcut erosion processes in the gully region of the Loess Plateau

Headcut erosion is associated with major hydraulic changes induced by the gully head of concentrated flow. However, the variation in the hydraulic characteristics of the headcut erosion process is still not clear in the gully region of the Loess Plateau. A series of rainfall combined scouring experiments (flow discharges ranging from 3.6 to 7.2 m³ hr⁻¹, with 0.8 mm min⁻¹ rainfall intensity) were conducted on experimental plots to clarify the variation in the hydraulic parameters induced by gully head and erosion processes under different flow discharges. The results showed that concentrated flows in the catchment area and gully bed were turbulent (Reynolds number ranging from 1,876 to 6,693) and transformed between supercritical and subcritical (Froude number ranging from 0.96 to 3.73). The hydraulic parameters, such as the flow velocity, Reynolds number, shear stress, stream power, Darcy–Weisbach friction factor, and unit stream power in the catchment area were 0.45–0.59 m s⁻¹, 2086–6693, 1.96–5.33 Pa, 0.89–2.86 W m⁻², 0.08–0.16, and 0.023–0.031 m s⁻¹, respectively. When the concentrated flows dropped from the gully head, the hydraulic parameters in the gully bed decreased by 3.39–26.07%, 1.49–29.99%, 65.19–67.14%, 67.25–74.96%, 28.53–61.31%, and 67.82–77.14%, respectively, which contributed to the flow energy consumption at the gully head. As flow discharge increased, Reynolds number, shear stress, and stream power increased, while flow velocity, Froude number, unit stream power, and Darcy–Weisbach friction factor did not. The flow energy consumption at the gully head was 9.66–10.13, 13.25–13.74, 15.68–16.41, and 19.28–20.25 J s⁻¹, respectively, under different flow discharges and accounted for 60.58–68.50% of the flow energy consumption of the experimental plots. Generally, the sediment discharges increased rapidly at the initial stage, then increased slowly, and finally reached a steady state condition, which showed a significant declining logarithmic trend with experimental duration (P<.01) and increased with increasing flow discharge. Accordingly, the flow energy consumption was significantly correlated with the sediment yield. These findings could improve our understanding of the hydraulic properties and flow energy characteristics of headcut erosion.