Soil organic carbon pools in particle-size fractions as affected by slope gradient and land use change in hilly regions, western Iran

This study was conducted to explore the effects of topography and land use changes on particulate organic carbon(POC),particulate total nitrogen(PTN),organic carbon(OC) and total nitrogen(TN) associated with different size primary particle fractions in hilly regions of western Iran.Three popular land uses in the selected site including natural forest(NF),disturbed forest(DF) and cultivated land(CL) and three slope gradients(0-10 %,S1,10-30 %,S2,and 30-50%,S3) were employed as the basis of soil sampling.A total of 99 soil samples were taken from the 0-10 cm surface layer in the whole studied hilly region studied.The results showed that the POC in the forest land use in all slope gradients was considerably more than the deforested and cultivated lands and the highest value was observed at NF-S1 treatment with 9.13%.The values of PTN were significantly higher in the forest land use and in the down slopes(0.5%) than in the deforested and cultivated counterparts and steep slopes(0.09%) except for the CL land use.The C:N ratios in POC fraction were around 17-18 in the forest land and around 23 in the cultivated land.In forest land,the silt-associated OC was highest among the primary particles.The enrichment factor of SOC,EC,was the highest for POC.For the primary particles,EC of both primary fractions of silt and clay showed following trend for selected land uses and slope gradients:CL> DF> NF and S3 > S2> S1.Slope gradient of landscape significantly affected the OC and TN contents associated with the silt and clay particles,whereas higher OC and TN contents were observed in lower positions and the lowest value was measured in the steep slopes.Overall,the results showed that native forest land improves soil organic carbon storage and can reduce the carbon emission and soil erosion especially in the mountainous regions with high rainfall in west of Iran.     

Effects of rock fragments on yak dung greenhouse gas emissions on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Dung deposition is an important pathway of nutrient return and redistribution in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.To date,information on the greenhouse gas emissions of yak dung on alpine grasslands,especially where there are large amounts of rock fragments,is limited.Our aim,therefore,was to evaluate variations in N_2O,CH_4,and CO_2 emissions from yak dung(CCD),and compare it to dung placed on rock fragments(RCD),alpine steppe soil(CSD),and a soil and rock fragment mixture(RSD) over a 30-day incubation period.The results showed that the total N_2O emissions from treatments without soil were significantly(P 0.05) lower than those from treatments with soil.The highest total CH_4 emissions were detected in the CSD treatment,while CH_4 losses from treatments without rock fragments were significantly(P 0.05) greater than those with rock fragments.The total CO_2 emissions from the RSD treatment was 6.30%–12.0% lower than those in the other three treatments.The soil beneath yak dung pats elevated the globalwarming potential(GWP),while the addition of rock fragments to the soil significantly(P 0.05) decreased the GWP by reducing emissions of the three greenhouse gases.We therefore suggest that interactions between rock fragments and alpine steppe soil are effective in decreasing yak dung greenhouse gas emissions.This finding indicates that rock fragments are an effective medium for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from dung pats,and more attention should therefore be paid to evaluate its ecological impact in future studies.These results should help guide scientific assessments of regional GHG budgets in agricultural ecosystems where the addition of livestock manure to soils with large amounts of rock fragments is common.     

中元古代鄂尔多斯盆地南缘裂谷沉积相与震积岩序列

鄂尔多斯盆地南缘中元古代处于拉张期,发育多裂谷系.分析鄂尔多斯盆地野外地质调查、物探和钻井等资料,划分沉积相剖面,研究沉积演化及相类型.结果表明:盆地南缘中元古代沉积陆相三角洲至海陆过渡相的长城系与滨浅海至深海盆地相的蓟县系,并于蓟县系中发现液化底劈构造、震褶岩、震裂岩、震浊积岩、津浪丘状层和风暴岩等震积岩序列单元;沉积水体逐渐加深,为裂谷非补偿型沉积,蓟县系中存在震积岩序列,反映该区中元古代盆地南缘处于裂谷带内,受裂陷作用持续影响.通过沉积相及震积岩序列划分耦合裂谷说,为区域构造研究提供佐证.     

Characteristics and dynamics of the Ganqiuchi rock avalanche triggered by a paleo-earthquake in the Northern Qinling Mountains

Analyzing large prehistoric rock avalanches provides significant data for evaluating the disaster posed by these relatively infrequent but destructive geological events. This paper attempts to study the characteristics and dynamics of the Ganqiuchi granitic rock avalanche, in the middle of the northern margin of Qinling Mountains, 30 km to the south of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. In plane view, this rock avalanche is characterized by source area, accumulation area and dammed lake area. Based on previous studies, historical records and regional geological data, the major trigger of the Ganqiuchi rock avalanche is considered to be a strong paleo-earthquake with tremendous energy. The in situ deposit block size distributions of the intact rock mass and the debris deposits are presented and analyzed by using a simple model for estimating the number of fragmentation cycles that the blocks underwent. The results show that the primary controlling factor of the fragmentation process is the pre-existing fractures, and there is a relationship between the potential energy and the fragmentation energy: the latter is approximately 20% of the former. Based on the dynamic discrete element technique, the study proposes a four-stage model for the dynamic course of the Ganqiuchi rock avalanche:(1) failing;(2) highspeed sliding;(3) collision with obstacles;(4) decelerated sliding, which has implication for hazard assessment of the potential rock avalanches in China and other countries with similar geological setting.     

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON IN RESERVED DESERTIFICATION AREA —A Case Study in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China

Soil organic carbon (SOC) was considered to be a key index in evaluation of soil degradation and soil C sequestration. To discuss the spatial-temporal dynamics of SOC in arable layer in reversed desertification area, a case study was conducted in Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, China. Data of SOC were based on general soil survey in 1982 and repeated soil sampling in 2003. Soil organic carbon content (SOCC) was determined by K2Cr3O2-FeSO4 titration method, and soil organic carbon density (SOCD) was calculated by arithmetic average and area weighted average method, respectively. On average, SOCC and SOCD of the arable layer in the study area from 1982 to 2003 had increased 0.5 Ig/kg and 0.16kg/m2, respectively. Considering main soil types, the widest distributed Arid-Sandic Entisols had lowest values and increments of SOCC and SOCD during the study period; while the second widest Los-Orthic Entisols had higher values and increments of SOCC and SOCD, compared to the mean values of the whole region. The results indicated that reversed desertification process was due to the modification of land use and management practices, such as natural vegetation recovery, planting grass, turning arable land to grassland, and soil and water conservation etc., which can improve SOCC and SOCD and thus enhance soil C sequestration.     

Numerical investigation of effects of “baffles-deceleration strip” hybrid system on rock avalanches

Arrays of baffles are usually installed in front of protection site to attenuate the flow energy of rock avalanches in mountainous areas. Optimization design is crucial for efficiency promotion in hazard energy dissipation engineering. In this study, a deceleration strip was added in the baffles protection system to optimize the traditional baffles system. The effects of the "baffles-deceleration strip" hybrid protection system was discussed in detail with the nails number and nails angle. This study presents details of numerical experiments using the discreteelement method(DEM). The effect of the optimization of hybrid protection system(nail angle and nail number) were investigated specifically, especially the impact force that avalanches exerted on structures. The results show that the maximum impact forces and kinetic energy of the rock avalanches decreases with the increase of the number and angle of the nail. Moreover, the distance between the toe and the bearing structure(L_m) is also a key factor. The shorter the distance L_m(30 m) is, the higher the maximum impact force are. The longer the distance L_m(70 m) is, the lower the maximum impact force are. Under the same size of the nails, increasing the numbers can enhance the dissipation ability of the hybrid protection system. Meanwhile, increasing itsangle can also enhance the dissipation ability. There are three key ways for nails attenuate rock avalanches:(i) block the fine particles directly;(ii) form the particles bridge between nails and baffles;(iii) dissipate the coarse particles energy directly. The effect of segregation in rock avalanches is crucial for the energy dissipation mechanism, which is a key factor to optimize the traditional baffle system.     

Soil carbon stock and flux in plantation forest and grassland ecosystems in Loess Plateau,China

Carbon sequestration occurs when cultivated soils are re-vegetated. In the hilly area of the Loess Plateau, China, black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia) plantation forest and grassland were the two main vegetation types used to mitigate soil and water loss after cultivation abandonment. The purpose of this study was to compare the soil carbon stock and flux of these two types of vegetation which restored for 25 years. The experiment was conducted in Yangjuangou catchment in Yan′an City, Shaanxi Province, China. Two adjacent slopes were chosen for this study. Six sample sites were spaced every 35–45 m from summit to toe slope along the hill slope, and each sample site contained three sampling plots. Soil organic carbon and related physicochemical properties in the surface soil layer(0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) were measured based on soil sampling and laboratory analysis, and the soil carbon dioxide(CO2) emissions and environmental factors were measured in the same sample sites simultaneously. Results indicated that in general, a higher soil carbon stock was found in the black locust plantation forest than that in grassland throughout the hill slope. Meanwhile, significant differences in the soil carbon stock were observed between these two vegetation types in the upper slope at soil depth 0–10 cm and lower slope at soil depth 10–20 cm. The average daily values of the soil CO2 emissions were 1.27 μmol/(m2·s) and 1.39 μmol/(m2·s) for forest and grassland, respectively. The soil carbon flux in forest covered areas was higher in spring and less variation was detected between different seasons, while the highest carbon flux was found in grassland in summer, which was about three times higher than that in autumn and spring. From the carbon sequestration point of view, black locust plantation forest on hill slopes might be better than grassland because of a higher soil carbon stock and lower carbon flux.     

Characteristics of rock fragments in different forest stony soil and its relationship with macropore characteristics in mountain area,northern China

Rock fragments have major effect on soil macropores and water movement. However, the characteristics of rock fragments and their relationship with macropore characteristics remain elusive in forest stony soils in northern mountainous area of China. The objectives of this study are to (1) use Industrial Computed Tomography (CT) scanning to quantitatively analyze rock fragment characteristics in intact soil columns in different forest lands and (2) identify the relationship between characteristics of rock fragments and that of the macropores. Intact soil columns that were 100 mm in diameter and 300 mm long were randomly taken from six local forest stony soils in Wuzuolou Forest Station in Miyun, Beijing. Industrial CT was used to scan all soil column samples, and then the scanned images were utilized to obtain the three-dimensional (3D) images of rock fragments and macropore structures. Next, the parameters of the rock fragments and macropore structure were measured, including the volume, diameter, surface area, and number of rock fragments, as well as the volume, diameter, surface area, length, angle, tortuosity and number of macropores. The results showed that no significant difference was found in soil rock fragments content in the 10-30 cm layer between mixed forest and pure forest, but in the 0-10 cm soil layer, the rock fragments in mixed forest were significantly less than in pure forest. The number density of macropores has significant negative correlation with the number of rock fragments in the 0-10 cm soil layer, whereas this correlation is not significant in 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm soil layers. The volume density of macropore was not correlated with the volume density of rock fragments, and there is no correlation between the density of macropore surface area and the density of rock fragment surface area. Industrial CT scanning combined with image processing technology can provide a better way to explore 3D distribution of rock fragments in soil. The content of rock fragments in soil is mainly determined by parent rocks. The surface soil (0-10 cm) of forest contains fewer rock fragments and more macropores, which may be caused by bioturbation, root systems, gravitational settling and faunal undermining.     

Biomass growth characteristics of 13-year-old <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus densiflora</Emphasis> S. et Z. in a post-fire plantation on different contour conditions in Samcheuk,Korea

We used preliminary data to estimate the growth volume of artificially reforested Pinus densiflora in a post-fire area on three different contour conditions. We compared the growth of P. densiflora on a south-facing slope (S_sth), north-facing slope (S_nth) and ridge area (Ridge), using 7 trees selected from each stand aspect. The tree height, diameter and growth volume were measured and the dry weight of each plant part were compared and analyzed. The results revealed that the total dry weight was highest on S_sth (5992.3 g), followed by S_nth (4833.2 g) and lowest on Ridge (3160.1 g). The height growth was highest on S_nth (285.8 cm), followed by S_sth (274.5 cm) and lowest on Ridge (211.5 cm). The diameter growth was greatest on S_sth (7.37 cm), followed by S_nth (7.10 cm) and lowest on Ridge (5.72 cm). The volume growth was highest on S_sth (4257.7 cm³), followed by S_nth (3750.7 cm³) and lowest on Ridge (2093.7 cm³). Therefore, we should consider and include the concept of slope orientation together with differences in habitat environments in afforestation projects when creating artificial forests with P. densiflora. These study results can serve as important preliminary data for future establishment of artificial forest of P. densiflora in a post-fire plantation.     

喀斯特地区不同岩土组构对岩溶碳通量的影响

我国南方喀斯特地区岩石裸露率高、土层浅薄且分布不均,这种特殊的岩土组构如何影响水文过程对于准确估算岩溶碳通量具有重要意义。水化学径流法是计算流域尺度岩溶碳通量的常用方法,其中流域面积和流量作为2个重要参数在喀斯特地区往往难以准确获取。在普定喀斯特生态系统观测研究站设计了一组岩土比(1:1和4:1)和一组土层厚度(5,20,100 cm)共计5种岩土组构的模拟试验场。通过一个完整水文年的流量和水化学监测,定量研究了岩石裸露率和土层厚度对水文过程以及岩溶碳通量的影响。研究结果表明,5个模拟试验场岩溶碳通量平均值为(17±3) gC/m2/a,受渗漏量控制,雨季(5-10月)约占95%;岩石裸露率(2组岩土组构之间)对渗漏量的影响可达14%,且随着岩石裸露率增加,入渗系数也相应增加;土层厚度对渗漏量的影响仅在1%~2%之间。此外,对8个野外流域观测数据的分析发现,入渗系数与岩溶碳通量的相关性最为显著,说明入渗系数是喀斯特地区不同岩土组构地质背景影响和控制岩溶碳通量的主要因素,同时这种影响可能随降雨量变化而变化,即入渗系数并非常数。      

汶川地震滑坡-碎屑流致灾距探讨

为了阐明地震滑坡的运动特性并对其进行致灾距的预测,基于遥感影像解译和野外调查数据,借助经验公式法,分析了汶川地震滑坡水平最大运移距离L与前后缘高差H之间的相关性,给出了经验公式;探讨了不同滑坡之间滑程的差异与异常。结果表明:若已知H,可用L=aH+b或L=aHb对总位移进行预测初探;将视摩擦系数H/L=0.45作为汶川地震高速远程型滑坡的上限较合适;滑坡体积、源区破裂面积与L呈正相关,与H/L呈负相关;地震滑坡易发生在山脊线平行于断裂带、垂直于地震波传播方向的山体两侧;崩塌型滑坡易发前后缘高差范围在10~100m之间,大型高速远程型滑坡易发前后缘高差大于200m;滑坡源区易发坡度分布在25°51°之间,滑床坡降变化范围为0~58°,高速远程型滑坡的滑床坡降主要在8°20°之间;分析认为滑程差异和异常是距离效应、能量传递与岩体挡板效应、滚动润滑与气垫效应、体积与破裂面积效应、地质因子、地形因子、颗粒级配与颗粒流效应等因素综合作用的结果,考虑上述因素有益于滑坡-碎屑流致灾距的预测分析。      

Distribution and quantitative zonation of unloading cracks at a proposed large hydropower station dam Site

Rock mass unloading is an important rock engineering problem because unloading may impact the stability of a rock mass slope. Based on hydroelectric engineering principles, this study focuses on the classification of unloading zones to reflect the rock mass structure characteristics. Geological background and slope structure of the study region were considered to investigate the distribution and deformation of the unloading process. Quantitative indices were classified according to the formation mechanisms and the geological exhibition of unloading zones. The P-wave velocity (V _P ), the ratio of the wave velocity (K _V , the ratio of the test P-wave velocity along the adit depth to the P-wave velocity of intact rock), the sum of joint openings every 2 meters (S _t ), and the density of open joints (D _t ) were calculated as quantitative indices for the rock mass unloading zone. The characteristics of the unloading zone of rock mass slopes at the dam site were successfully determined. The method of combining qualitative data with quantitative indices was found to be effective for the classification of slope unloading zones.     

Effects of forest gaps on some microclimate variables in Castanopsis kawakamii natural forest

The objective of this study was to understand the effects of forest gap and variations in different seasons, gap size, locations and diurnal variations on forest microclimate and soil water content. Spatial and temporal distribution features of air temperature (TA ), soil temperature (TS ), relative humidity (h) and soil water content (Ψ) were measured in Castanopsis kawakamii natural forest gaps created by a severe typhoon or fallen dead trees. The results showed that: (1) the variations of TA , h, and TS in four seasons were extremely significant. The variations of Ψ in four seasons were extremely significant except for those between spring and summer. (2) The diurnal variations of TA and T S were expressed with a single peak curve. The diurnal variations of h and Ψ presented a high-low-high trend. (3) The variations of TA , h, and TS were extremely significant among the large, medium and small gaps in C. kawakamii natural forest. Medium gaps had the highest TA and the lowest h while small gaps were just contrary to medium gaps. The variations of Ψ were extremely significant for large, medium and small gaps except those between the medium and large gaps. (4) The TA , h, TS and Ψ were decreased from the gap center, canopy gap, expanded gap to understory. These results will help further our understanding of the abiotic and consequent biotic responses to gaps in the mid-subtropical broadleaved forests, which also provide a theoretical basis for the scientific management and population restoration of C. kawakamii natural forest.     

Dissolved oxygen distribution and O2 fluxes across the sea-air interface in East China Sea waters

This study on the sectional and vertical distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO) and the O₂ fluxes across the sea-air interface in East China Sea (ESC) waters shows that the waters were in steady state and that the difference of DO was great in upper and bottom waters in Apr. 1994; but that seawater mixing was strong and the difference of DO was small in upper and bottom waters in Oct. 1994. The above conclusions were specially obvious in continental shelf waters under 100 m. The DO maximum in subsurface layer waters appeared only at several stations and in general the DO in the waters decreased with depth. The horizontal distributions of O₂ fluxes across the sea-air interface appeared in stripes in Leg 9404 when most regions covered were supersaturated with O₂ seawater to air flux was large, and that on section No. 1 was 1.594 L/m²·d. The horizontal distribution of O₂ fluxes across the sea-air interface appeared lumpy in Leg 9410, when most regions covered were unsaturated with O₂·O₂ was dissolved from air to seawater, and the fluxes were 0.819 L/m²·d on section No. 1 in Leg 9310, 0.219 L/m²·d in Leg 9410. The main reasons for DO change in surface layer seawater were the mixture of upper and bottom layer water, and the exchange of O₂ across the sea-air interface. The variation of DO by biological activity was only 20% of total change of DO. Contribution No. 2716 from Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.     

Interaction between anti-shear galleries and surrounding rock in the right-bank slope of Dagangshan hydropower station

The right-bank slope of the Dagangshan hydropower station located in Southwest China is a highly unloaded rock slope. Moreover, large-scale natural faults were detected in the slope body; some excavation-induced unloading fractures were discovered at elevations between 1075m and 1146m. Because of poor tectonic stability, the excavation work was suspended in September 2009, and six largescale anti-shear galleries were employed to replace the weak zone in the slope body to reinforce the rightbank slope. In this study, based on microseismicmonitoring technology and a numerical-simulation method, the stabilities of the slope with and without the reinforcement are analysed. An in-situ microseismic-monitoring system is used to obtain quantitative information about the damage location, extent, energy, and magnitude of the rocks. Thus, any potential sliding block in the right-bank slope can be identified. By incorporating the numerical results along with the microseismic-monitoring data, the stress concentration is found to largely occur around the anti-shear galleries, and the seismic deformation near the anti-shear galleries is apparent, particularly at elevations of 1210, 1180, 1150, and 1120m. To understand the interaction mechanism between the anti-shear gallery and the surrounding rock, a 2D simulation of the potential damage process occurring in an anti-shear gallery is performed. The numerical simulation helps in obtaining additional information about the stress distribution and failure-induced stress re-distribution in the vicinity of the anti-shear galleries that cannot be directly observed in the field. Finally, the potential sliding surface of the right-bank slope is numerically obtained, which generally agrees with the spatial distribution of the in-situ monitored microseismic events. The safety factor of the slope reinforced with the anti-shear gallery increases by approximately 36.2%. Both the numerical results and microseismic data show that the anti-shear galleries have a good reinforcement effect.     

Change of Soil Organic Carbon after Cropland Afforestation in ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′ Program Area in China

Land use change is one of the major factors that affect soil organic carbon(SOC) variation and global carbon balance. However, the effects of land use change on SOC are always variable. In this study, using a series of paired-field experiments, we estimated the effects of revegetation types and environmental conditions on SOC stock and vertical distribution after replacement of cropland with poplar(Populus tomentosa) and korshinsk peashrub(Caragana korshinskii) in three climate regions(Chifeng City, Fengning City and Datong City of the ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′(BTSSC) program area. The results show that SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.15 Mg/(ha·yr) to 3.76 Mg/(ha·yr) in the soil layer of 0–100 cm in early stage after cropland afforestation in the BTSSC program area. The SOC accumulation rates are the highest in Fengning for both the two vegetation types. Compared to C. korshinskii, P. tomentosa has greater effects on SOC accumulation in the three climate regions, but significantly greater effect only appears in Datong. The SOC density increases by 20%–111% and 15%–59% for P. tomentosa and 9%–63% and 0–73% for C. korshinskii in the 0–20 cm and 20–100 cm soil layers, respectively. Our results indicate that cropland afforestation not only affects SOC stock in the topsoil, but also has some effects on subsoil carbon. However, the effect of cropland afforestation on SOC accumulation varied with climate regions and revegetation types. Considering the large area of revegetation and relatively high SOC accumulation rate, SOC sequestration in the BTSSC program should contribute significantly to decrease the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.     

Estimation of soil reinforcement by the roots of four post-dam prevailing grass species in the riparian zone of Three Gorges Reservoir,China

Soil erosion and bank degradation is a major post-dam concern regarding the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The development and succession of vegetation is a main countermeasure,especially to enhance bank stability and mitigate soil erosion by the root system. In this study, the roots of four prevailing grass species, namely, Cynodon dactylon, Hemarthria altissima, Hemarthria compressa, and Paspalum paspaloides, in the riparian zone were investigated in relation to additional soil cohesion. Roots were sampled using a single root auger. Root length density(RLD) and root area ratio(RAR) were measured by using the Win RHIZO image analysis system. Root tensile strength(TR) was performed using a manualdynamometer, and the soil reinforcement caused by the roots was estimated using the simple Wu's perpendicular model. Results showed that RLD values of the studied species ranged from 0.24 cm/cm3 to20.89 cm/cm3 at different soil layers, and RLD were significantly greater at 0–10 cm depth in comparison to the deeper soil layers(10 cm). RAR measurements revealed that on average 0.21% of the reference soil area was occupied by grass roots for all the investigated species. The measured root tensile strength was the highest for P. paspaloides(62.26MPa) followed by C. dactylon(51.49 MPa), H.compressa(50.66 MPa), and H. altissima(48.81MPa). Nevertheless, the estimated maximum root reinforcement in this investigation was 22.5 k Pa for H.altissima followed by H. compressa(21.1 k Pa), P.paspaloides(19.5 k Pa), and C. dactylon(15.4 k Pa) at0–5 cm depth soil layer. The root cohesion values estimated for all species were generally distributed at the 0–10 cm depth and decreased with the increment of soil depth. The higher root cohesion associated with H. altissima and H. compressa implies their suitability for revegetation purposes to strengthen the shallow soil in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Although the soil reinforcement induced by roots is only assessed from indirect indicators, the present results still useful for species selection in the framework of implementing and future vegetation recovery actions in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir and similar areas in the Yangtze River Basin.     

Numerical modeling and dynamic analysis of the 2017 Xinmo landslide in Maoxian County,China

A catastrophic landslide occurred at Xinmo village in Maoxian County, Sichuan Province,China, on June 24, 2017. A 2.87×106 m3 rock mass collapsed and entrained the surface soil layer along the landslide path. Eighty-three people were killed or went missing and more than 103 houses were destroyed. In this paper, the geological conditions of the landslide are analyzed via field investigation and high-resolution imagery. The dynamic process and runout characteristics of the landslide are numerically analyzed using a depth-integrated continuum method and Mac Cormack-TVD finite difference algorithm.Computational results show that the evaluated area of the danger zone matchs well with the results of field investigation. It is worth noting that soil sprayed by the high-speed blast needs to be taken into account for such kind of large high-locality landslide. The maximum velocity is about 55 m/s, which is consistent with most cases. In addition, the potential danger zone of an unstable block is evaluated. The potential risk area evaluated by the efficient depthintegrated continuum method could play a significant role in disaster prevention and secondary hazard avoidance during rescue operations.     

Co-seismic landslide inventory and susceptibility mapping in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake disaster area, China

The Ms 8.0 May 12,2008 Wenchuan earthquake triggered tens of thousands of landslides.The widespread landslides have caused serious casualties and property losses,and posed a great threat to post-earthquake reconstruction.A spatial database,inventoried 43,842 landslides with a total area of 632 km 2,was developed by interpretation of multi-resolution remote sensing images.The landslides can be classified into three categories:swallow,disrupted slides and falls;deep-seated slides and falls,and rock avalanches.The correlation between landslides distribution and the influencing parameters including distance from co-seismic fault,lithology,slope gradient,elevation,peak ground acceleration(PGA) and distance from drainage were analyzed.The distance from co-seismic fault was the most significant parameter followed by slope gradient and PGA was the least significant one.A logistic regression model combined with bivariate statistical analysis(BSA) was adopted for landslide susceptibility mapping.The study area was classified into five categories of landslide susceptibility:very low,low,medium,high and very high.92.0% of the study area belongs to low and very low categories with corresponding 9.0% of the total inventoried landslides.Medium susceptible zones make up 4.2% of the area with 17.7% of the total landslides.The rest of the area was classified into high and very high categories,which makes up 3.9% of the area with corresponding 73.3% of the total landslides.Although the susceptibility map can reveal the likelihood of future landslides and debris flows,and it is helpful for the rebuilding process and future zoning issues.     

137Cs and 210Pbex as soil erosion tracers in the hilly Sichuan Basin and the Three Gorges area of China

Accelerated soil erosion and land degradation represent major environmental problems for agricultural lands.Reliable information on the rates of soil loss is urgently needed.The traditional techniques for documenting rates of soil loss may meet this need,but face many limitations.The fallout radionuclides,especially 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex,are increasingly used as effective tracers to quantify soil erosion rates,and they represent a valuable complement to the existing classical methods.This paper aims to introduce the basis for assessing soil erosion rates on cultivated and uncultivated slopes by using 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex measurements,to compare the 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex reference inventories,and to report several case studies undertaken in the hilly area of Sichuan Basin and the Three Gorges area of China.