Influence of Soil Air Permeability Change on Soil Vapour Extraction Systems Design

Soil air permeability plays a decisive role in the effectiveness of soil vapour extraction (SVE) for the removal of volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) from soil. The objective of this work is to study the change of the soil air permeability during continuous venting and removal of contaminant from a polluted soil. SVE pilot experiments were conducted to investigate the interaction of soil air permeability with total liquids saturation. Oppositely to previous studies, air permeability was measured by fitting pressure data measured in a 3D laboratory venting pilot to an analytical airflow solution. The experimental correlation was compared with two different correlations published previously. A difference was observed between measured and calculated air relative air permeabilities especially for low water saturation degrees. The importance of the correct estimate of relative permeability was then illustrated by comparing vacuums and streamlines calculated using measured permeability and permeability values estimated with the two correlations tested here. Results show that an inappropriate assessment of relative permeability may engender significant errors in designing an SVE system. The second part of this work reports on the influence of air permeability change on the prediction capability of an SVE mathematical model. A significant difference between simulated breakthrough curves, estimated using firstly the relationship established experimentally and secondly the two other correlations, was observed. These results lead us to say that inadequate characterization of the air permeability change may generate significant errors in removal rate and closure time estimates.     

Subsurface flow processes in sloping cropland of purple soil

Subsurface flow is a prominent runoff process in sloping lands of purple soil in the upper Yangtze River basin.However,it remains difficult to identify and quantify.In this study,in situ runoff experimental plots were used to measure soil moisture dynamics using an array of time domain reflectometry(TDR) together with overland flow and subsurface flow using isolated collecting troughs.Frequency of preferential flow during rainfall events and the controls of subsurface flow processes were investigated through combined analysis of soil properties,topography,rainfall intensity,initial wetness,and tillage.Results showed that subsurface flow was ubiquitous in purple soil profiles due to welldeveloped macropores,especially in surface soils while frequency of preferential flow occurrence was very low(only 2 cases in plot C) during all 22 rainfall events.Dry antecedent moisture conditions promoted the occurrence of preferential flow.However,consecutive real-time monitoring of soil moisture at different depths and various slope positions implied the possible occurrence of multiple subsurface lateral flows during intensive storms.Rainfall intensity,tillage operation,and soil properties were recognized as main controls of subsurface flow in the study area,which allows the optimization of management practices for alleviating adverse environmental effects of subsurface flow in the region.     

The consequences of land-cover changes on soil erosion distribution in Slovakia

Soil erosion is a complex process determined by mutual interaction of numerous factors. The aim of erosion research at regional scales is a general evaluation of the landscape susceptibility to soil erosion by water, taking into account the main factors influencing this process. One of the key factors influencing the susceptibility of a region to soil erosion is land cover. Natural as well as human-induced changes of landscape may result in both the diminishment and acceleration of soil erosion. Recent studies of land-cover changes indicate that during the last decade more than 4.11% of Slovak territory has changed. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of land-cover and crop rotation changes over the 1990–2000 period on the intensity and spatial pattern of soil erosion in Slovakia. The assessment is based on principles defined in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) modified for application at regional scale and the use of the CORINE land cover (CLC) databases for 1990 and 2000. The C factor for arable land has been refined using statistical data on the mean crop rotation and the acreage of particular agricultural crops in the districts of Slovakia. The L factor has been calculated using sample areas with parcels identified by LANDSAT TM data. The results indicate that the land-cover and crop rotation changes had a significant influence on soil erosion pattern predominately in the hilly and mountainous parts of Slovakia. The pattern of soil erosion changes exhibits high spatial variation with overall slightly decreased soil erosion risks. These changes are associated with ongoing land ownership changes, changing structure of crops, deforestation and afforestation.     

Erosion rates and sediment budgets in vineyards at 1-m resolution based on stock unearthing (Burgundy, France)

A new and simple method is developed to efficiently quantify erosion and deposition rates based on stock unearthing measurements. This is applicable to spatial scales ranging from plot to hillslopes, and to time scales ranging from single hydrologic events to centennial scales. The method is applied to a plot area on vineyard hillslopes in Burgundy (Monthélie, France), with measurement of 4328 vine plants. A sediment budget established at the plot scale shows a mean soil lowering of 3.44 ± 1 cm over 20 years, involving a minimal erosion rate of 1.7 ± 0.5 mm yr^− 1. Locally, erosion rates can reach up to 8.2 ± 0.5 mm yr^− 1.This approach allows the sediment redistribution to be mapped and analyzed at 1-m resolution. It provides novel insights into the characterization of erosion patterns on pluri-decennial scales and into the analysis of spatial distribution of erosion processes on cultivated hillslopes.     

南宁市坛洛镇岩溶塌陷群成因机制分析

岩溶塌陷是岩溶区较为常见的地质灾害,对其成因机制的研究有助于针对性的进行综合防治。为了弄清2012年6月在广西南宁市坛洛镇连续发生的岩溶塌陷的成因及发育机制,在塌陷群发生地区开展了现场调查、地球物理勘探、水文地质工程地质钻探、地下水动态长期监测、岩土样测试等多项工作。结果表明,坛洛岩溶塌陷群是各种不良因素共同作用的产物。其致塌因素主要包括特殊的“水-土-岩”组合及人为活动。研究区地下水位埋深较浅,土体结构以粘性土为主,渗透系数较低且易崩解,地下岩溶极为发育。高强度的人工地下水开采活动是坛洛岩溶塌陷的诱因。深入分析其发育机理,认为塌陷群是渗流潜蚀效应、增荷失托效应和水位波动产生的气压差效应等3个力学效应综合作用下发生的,其致塌模式是重力致塌、潜蚀致塌、真空吸蚀致塌和冲爆致塌等4种模式的相互结合。根据岩溶塌陷的发生顺序推断坛洛镇岩溶塌陷群的发育过程可分为缓慢发育—塌陷诱发—塌陷集中爆发3个阶段,各阶段的主要地质营力有所不同。