Assessment of soil erosion in a monsoon-dominated mountain river basin in India using RUSLE-SDR and AHP

The long-term average annual soil loss (A) and sediment yield (SY) in a tropical monsoon-dominated river basin in the southern Western Ghats, India (Muthirapuzha River Basin, MRB; area: 271.75 km²), were predicted by coupling the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) models. Moreover, the study also delineated soil erosion risk zones based on the soil erosion potential index (SEPI) using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. Mean A of the basin is 14.36 t ha^?1 year^?1, while mean SY is only 3.65 t ha^?1 year^?1. Although the land use/land cover types with human interference show relatively lower A compared to natural vegetation, their higher SDR values reflect the significance of anthropogenic activities in accelerated soil erosion. The soil erosion risk in the MRB is strongly controlled by slope, land use/land cover and relative relief, compared to geomorphology, drainage density, stream frequency and lineament frequency.     

Electromagnetic induction prediction of soil salinity and groundwater properties in a Tunisian Saharan oasis

Abstract

Electromagnetic induction measurements (EM) were taken in a saline gypsiferous soil of the Saharan-climate Fatnassa oasis (Tunisia) to predict the electrical conductivity of saturated soil extract (ECe) and shallow groundwater properties (depth, Dgw, and electrical conductivity, ECgw) using various models. The soil profile was sampled at 0.2 m depth intervals to 1.2 m for physical and chemical analysis. The best input to predict the log-transformed soil salinity (lnECe) in surface (0–0.2 m) soil was the EMh/EMv ratio. For the 0–0.6 m soil depth interval, the performance of multiple linear regression (MLR) models to predict lnECe was weaker using data collected over various seasons and years (R _a ² = 0.66 and MSE = 0.083 dS m^-1) as compared to those collected during the same period (R _a ² = 0.97, MSE = 0.007 dS m^-1). For similar seasonal conditions, for the Dgw–EMv relationship, R ² was 0.88 and the MSE was 0.02 m for Dgw prediction. For a validation subset, the R ² was 0.85 and the MSE was 0.03 m. Soil salinity was predicted more accurately when groundwater properties were used instead of soil moisture with EM variables as input in the MLR.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor K. Heal

Citation Bouksila, F., Persson, M., Bahri, A., and Berndtsson, R., 2012. Electromagnetic induction predictions of soil salinity and groundwater properties in a Tunisian Saharan oasis. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (7), 1473–1486.     

Estimation of the temporal autocorrelation structure by the collocation technique with an emphasis on soil moisture studies

Abstract

The collocation technique has become a popular tool in oceanography and hydrology for estimating the error variances of different data sources such as in situ sensors, models and remote sensing products. It is also possible to determine calibration constants, for example to account for an off-set between the data sources. So far, the temporal autocorrelation structure of the errors has not been studied, although it is known that it has detrimental effects on the results of the collocation technique, in particular when calibration constants are also determined. This paper shows how the (triple) collocation estimators can be adapted to retrieve the autocovariance functions; the statistical properties as well as the structural deficencies are described. The coupling between the autocorrelation of the error and the estimation of calibration constants is studied in detail, due to its importance for analysing temporal changes. In soil moisture applications, such time variations can be induced, for example, by seasonal changes in the vegetation cover, which affect both models and remote sensing products. The limitations of the proposed technique associated with these considerations are analysed using remote sensing and in situ soil moisture data. The variability of the inter-sensor calibration and the autocovariance are shown to be closely related to temporal patterns of the data.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis

Citation Zwieback, S., Dorigo, W., and Wagner, W., 2013. Estimation of the temporal autocorrelation structure by the collocation technique with an emphasis on soil moisture studies. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1729–1747.     

How persistent are hysteresis patterns between suspended sediment concentration and discharge at different timescales?

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to characterize the hysteresis of suspended sediment concentration (SSC) at different timescales for the Educational and Research Forest Watershed of Tarbiat Modares University, Iran. Hysteresis loops were developed between flow discharge and SSC using data for (i) the whole period, (ii) seasonal, (iii) monthly and (iv) storm-event timescales. The data were collected on an hourly basis at daily and storm-event scales from October 2007 to July 2008. The SSC hysteresis for all the events in the whole study period showed a clockwise pattern, with a flushing behaviour pointing to sudden changes in sediment sources. The results further reveal that the study watershed behaves differently from the viewpoint of hysteresis patterns, with different conditions of dilution and flushing between SSC and flow discharge at different timescales. These result from the complex varying effect of governing conditions on the watershed.     

饱和砂土地震液化判别的分形插值模型

借鉴分形基本理论,提出了基于分形插值模型的饱和砂土地震液化判别方法.该方法首先选取影响饱和砂土地震液化判别的7个主要因素,根据分类标准,采用在每级标准中随机内插的方法,得到40个标准样本,用于构建饱和砂土地震液化判别的分形插值模型;其次根据最大似然分类原则确定每个饱和砂土地震液化判别指标的评价分维数;然后利用加权求和法计算样本的综合评价值,并根据样本综合评价值与经验等级之间的关系建立分形插值评价模型;最后,进行了实例分析结果表明:该模型的评价结果合理、客观,计算得到的每个样本具体得分值,即使对属于同一级的样本也可以给出其地震液化程度的顺序,为饱和砂土地震液化评价工作提供了一种新的研究方法与思路.     

边坡加固的抗震性能参数分析

传统基于瑞典法的边坡加固抗震性能参数分析,通过建立强度参数与临界滑动面对应关系完成推导,由于因荷载过大,边坡建筑物抗震性能降低,准确率不高等问题,提出新的边坡加固抗震性能参数分析方法,对边坡加固的抗震性能参数进行分析,更好地通过加固提高其抗震性能。运用新型边坡加固抗震性能参数分析方法,采用基于极向条分的极限分析上限法和非线性Mohr-Coulomb破坏准则,分析边坡加固措施对边坡抗震性能的影响,通过对比有、无加固措施状态下不同能量功率的运算确定边坡抗震性能,利用MATLAB软件获取边坡加固抗震性能参数的最优解。经实验证明,边坡潜在破坏范围受边坡坡顶受荷和边坡加固情况的作用较大,地震荷载系数及非线性系数越大,土体强度非线性越小,边坡抗震性能受地震荷载的作用也越大。边坡抗滑桩最优抗震支护方位位于X_F/L_x=0.7处,在地震荷载从0上升至0.2的情况下,非线性系数为1.2、1.4、1.6以及2.0时的边坡抗震性能分别下降了40.1%、46.8%、57.5%以及61.5%。新型的抗震性能参数分析方法有效地提高了结果准确率,对边坡加固的抗震性能能达到准确分析。     

分形几何在岩土力学研究中的过去、现在与未来

首先简略地介绍了分形几何理论及其方法。从岩土材料结构的定量描述、流体在岩土体中的渗流问题、岩土材料强度的分形模型和分形空间的力学特征四个方面叙述了分形理论在岩土力学研究中取得的成果及应用。指出只有将岩土力学系统在欧氏空间的各种基本变量、原理和方法向分形空间推广和拓展,才能产生对岩土材料非线性力学行为的新认识,这也是分形理论在岩土力学研究中进一步深化的基础。     

黏性土坡地震失稳机制及其在黄土斜坡地震稳定性分析中的应用

基于地震作用下黏性土坡失稳滑动特点,以土体应力状态及其变化分析边坡失稳过程。通过分析地震作用下边坡不同部位土体应力状态和剪应力变化,结合实际地震边坡失稳破坏特征,提出黏性土坡地震三段式滑动失稳机制。在分析该滑动失稳机制与有限元强度折减法之间应力关联的基础上,将两者结合应用于实际黄土地震滑坡动力稳定性分析。依据此考虑得到的动力安全系数相比较其他方法,与极限平衡法得到的结果更为接近。     

Piping dynamics in mid‐altitude mountains under a temperate climate: Bieszczady Mountains,eastern Carpathians

Piping has been recognized as an important geomorphic, soil erosion and hydrologic process. It seems that it is far more widespread than it has often been supposed. However, our knowledge about piping dynamics and its quantification currently relies on a limited number of data for mainly loess‐derived areas and marl badlands. Therefore, this research aimed to recognize piping dynamics in mid‐altitude mountains under a temperate climate, where piping occurs in Cambisols, not previously considered as piping‐prone soils. It has been expressed by the estimation of erosion rates due to piping and elongation of pipes in the Bere?nica Wy?na catchment in the Bieszczady Mountains, eastern Carpathians (305 ha, 188 collapsed pipes). The research was based on the monitoring of selected piping systems (1971–1974, 2013–2016). Changes in soil loss vary significantly between different years (up to 27.36 t ha^?1 yr^?1), as well as between the mean short‐term erosion rate (up to 13.10 t ha^?1 yr^?1), and the long‐term (45 years) mean of 1.34 t ha^?1 yr^?1. The elongation of pipes also differs, from no changes to 36 m during one year. The mean total soil loss is 48.8 t ha^?1 in plots, whereas in the whole studied catchment it is 2.0 t ha^?1. Hence, piping is both spatially and temporally dependent. The magnitude of piping in the study area is at least three orders of magnitude higher than surface erosion rates (i.e. sheet and rill erosion) under similar land use (grasslands), and it is comparable to the magnitude of surface soil erosion on arable lands. It means that piping constitutes a significant environmental problem and, wherever it occurs, it is an important, or even the main, sediment source. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.