The topographic imprint of a transient climate episode: the western Andean flank between 15·5° and 41·5°S

Mountain‐range topography is determined by the complex interplay between tectonics and climate. However, often it is not clear to what extent climate forces topographic evolution and how past climatic episodes are reflected in present‐day relief. The Andes are a tectonically active mountain belt encompassing various climatic zones with pronounced differences in rainfall, erosion, and glacier extent under similar plate‐boundary conditions. In the central to south‐western Andes, climatic zones range from hyperarid desert with mean annual rainfall of 5 mm/a (22·5°S) to year‐round humidity with 2500 mm/a (40°S). The Andes thus provide a unique setting for investigating the relationship between tectonics, climate, and topography. We present an analysis of 120 catchments along the western Andean watersheds between 15·5° and 41·5°S, which is based on SRTMV3‐90m data and new medium‐resolution rainfall, tropical rainfall measurement mission (TRMM) dataset. For each basin, we extracted geometry, relief, and climate parameters to test whether Andean topography shows a climatic imprint and to analyze how climate influences relief. Our data document that elevation and relief decrease with increasing rainfall and descending snowline elevation. Furthermore, we show that local relief reaches high values of 750 m in a zone between 28°S to 35°S. During Pleistocene glacial stages this region was affected by the northward shifting southern hemisphere Westerlies, which provided moisture for valley‐glacier formation and extended glacial coverage as well as glacial erosion. In contrast, the southern regions between 35°S to 40°S receive higher rainfall and have a lower local relief of 200 m, probably related to an increased drainage density. We distinguish two different, climatically‐controlled mechanisms shaping topography: (1) fluvial erosion by prolonged channel‐hillslope coupling, which smoothes relief, and (2) erosion by valley glaciers that generates relief. Finally, Our results suggests that the catchment‐scale relief of the Andes between 28°S to 35°S is characterized by a pronounced transient component reflecting past climatic conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SCALES: a large‐scale assessment model of soil erosion hazard in Basse‐Normandie (northern‐western France)

The cartography of erosion risk is mainly based on the development of models, which evaluate in a qualitative and quantitative manner the physical reproduction of the erosion processes (CORINE, EHU, INRA). These models are mainly semi‐quantitative but can be physically based and spatially distributed (the Pan‐European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment, PESERA). They are characterized by their simplicity and their applicability potential at large temporal and spatial scales. In developing our model SCALES (Spatialisation d'éChelle fine de l'ALéa Erosion des Sols/large‐scale assessment and mapping model of soil erosion hazard), we had in mind several objectives: (1) to map soil erosion at a regional scale with the guarantee of a large accuracy on the local level, (2) to envisage an applicability of the model in European oceanic areas, (3) to focus the erosion hazard estimation on the level of source areas (on‐site erosion), which are the agricultural parcels, (4) to take into account the weight of the temporality of agricultural practices (land‐use concept). Because of these objectives, the nature of variables, which characterize the erosion factors and because of its structure, SCALES differs from other models. Tested in Basse‐Normandie (Calvados 5500 km²) SCALES reveals a strong predisposition of the study area to the soil erosion which should require to be expressed in a wet year. Apart from an internal validation, we tried an intermediate one by comparing our results with those from INRA and PESERA. It appeared that these models under estimate medium erosion levels and differ in the spatial localization of areas with the highest erosion risks. SCALES underlines here the limitations in the use of pedo‐transfer functions and the interpolation of input data with a low resolution. One must not forget however that these models are mainly focused on an interregional comparative approach. Therefore the comparison of SCALES data with those of the INRA and PESERA models cannot result on a convincing validation of our model. For the moment the validation is based on the opinion of local experts, who agree with the qualitative indications delivered by our cartography. An external validation of SCALES is foreseen, which will be based on a thorough inventory of erosion signals in areas with different hazard levels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of agriculture on solute and suspended sediment load on a Mediterranean watershed after intense rainstorms

The solute and suspended‐sediment load following five rainstorms (2005–2007) with varied intensities were studied at the Vernegà experimental watershed, north‐western Spain. Two land‐use areas are located within this watershed, the upstream one (forest) with 160 ha a 100% forested area, and the downstream one (agricultural) with 97 ha being 9 ha conventional agricultural field and 88 ha forest. This study investigates the capacity of each land‐use to yield water, suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and dissolved solid concentration (DSC). The hypothesis is that DSC and SSC from the agricultural area are greater than DSC and SSC of the forest area. Results showed that the agriculture area produced significantly greater mean DSC than in the forest area, the main contribution was the Ca²⁺ (24·68 ± 46·52 mg l^?1) ion at the agricultural area. A long‐term sediment production rate at the agricultural outlet was calculated (69·1 tonnes per 100 years) based on the total sediment discharge (TSD) and the recurrence interval of the largest event of the five rainstorms (October 2005). Geographic information system (GIS) spatial data layers of the watershed were produced to determine the relation of tracks, landforms, slopes and forest management to SSC yield in the forest outlet (133·89 ± 308·14 mg l^?1) during the five rainstorms. Agriculture practices are the main cause of soil erosion at the study area. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distance,time and scale in soil erosion processes

This commentary brings together, as a virtual Special Issue, a number of recent papers in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms that are all related to issues of scale in soil erosion. Empirical concepts that were developed in the 1940s are now in need of re‐thinking, and papers are increasingly exploring, through modelling and measurement, appropriate ways to recognize the mechanisms that connect processes across time and space scales. Issues include a more nuanced approach to selective transportation, responses to variability in surface and sub‐surface conditions and the need to analyse measurements in ways that can be transferred between sites and storms. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

激光雷达测量技术在地学中的若干应用

对激光雷达测量技术在全球冰川监测、局部断裂带提取、滑坡监测和稳定性评价以及海岸线提取和海岸侵蚀等方面的应用做了较为全面的综述.作为一种新型的对地观测手段,激光雷达(含星载、机载、车载和地面)的应用已经从传统的测绘扩大到包括文物保护在内的诸多其他应用领域.所综述的激光雷达技术在地学研究中的4个应用方面,是传统地学研究中与全球变化和人居环境最为密切的方向.分析表明,激光雷达技术在这些研究方向中的应用大有作为.      

基于RS和GIS的松辽平原黑土流失研究

基于RS和GIS技术,利用1986年TM数据和2001年ETM数据,对松辽平原黑土分布现状与动态变化进行监测研究,分析了黑土流失特点及其时空分布规律,并引入冲沟线密度概念量化黑土流失趋势。结果表明:松辽平原典型黑土面积54 989.92 km2,沿京哈铁路线呈弧形条带状展布;1986~2001年间,黑土区水土流失面积达3 765.21 km2,减少速度为251.01 km2/a,集中在河流两岸、较大建筑用地附近和与盐碱土接壤的地区;仅考虑冲沟的有效作用域,预计到2016年黑土面积平均会有1411.0 km2/a转变为冲沟,黑土流失状况不容乐观。     

Experimental study on the sampling efficiency of the whirl type separation sand sampler in a wind tunnel

A performance test was conducted in a wind tunnel by changing the principal configuration parameters of a sampler such as the diameter of the container, inlet width and cone height. The results show that the average sand collection rate is from 80% to 90% when any one of the configuration parameter levels is changed. However, the variation of a parameter level results in different ef-fects on the sand collection rate for each soil sample within a certain size range of sand grains. The results show that for various sand grain sized soil sample at each wind speed, the sand collection rate decreases when the diameter of the container changes from 50 mm to 40 mm, the sand collection rate increases by about 2%-3% when the inlet width changes from 10 mm to 8 mm, and the sand collection rate increases by about 3%-4% when cone height is altered from 100 mm to 125 mm. The average sand collection rate is enhanced by 2%-4% for the soil sample of different sized sand grains when the diameter of the container is 50 mm, the inlet width is 8 mm, and cone height is 125 mm.     

风水复合侵蚀与生态恢复研究进展

风水复合侵蚀是风力与水力共同或交替作用相互增强或者削弱的过程。从侵蚀区划分、驱动因素、侵蚀机理和生态恢复对策等方面论述了风水复合侵蚀的研究进展,简述了半干旱风水复合侵蚀区和海岸复合侵蚀区是两个影响最大的风水复合侵蚀区。晋陕蒙接壤区为半干旱风水复合侵蚀区的强烈侵蚀中心,在土地利用上属农牧交错区,生态环境极为脆弱。海岸复合侵蚀岸段分布广泛,侵蚀岸线在总岸线中所占比例较大。影响风水复合侵蚀的因素包括自然和人为因素,且地域差异显著。半干旱区风水复合侵蚀研究主要从侵蚀特点、土壤特性、侵蚀产沙、侵蚀能量研究等方面;海岸复合侵蚀区从侵蚀特征、风暴潮与海岸复合侵蚀关系等方面分析了取得的进展和存在的不足。总结了生物措施和工程措施对风水复合侵蚀区生态恢复的作用,展望了风水复合侵蚀与生态恢复的研究方向,并指出复合侵蚀机理与评估、生态恢复机理与评价研究是今后研究的趋势。     

An investigation of soil erosion and redistribution in a Mediterranean lowland agricultural catchment using caesium-137

This study sought to contribute to an improved understanding of soil erosion and redistribution on Mediterranean agricultural land, where traditional soil conservation practices have been applied over millennia to provide effective protection of cultivated land. The study was undertaken in the Na Borges catchment, a groundwater-dominated lowland limestone basin (319 km2), located in the northeastern part of Mallorca, Spain. The average sediment yield from the basin, based on river sediment load data, is 1 t/km2·yr. The 137Cs technique was used to quantify soil redistribution rates over the past 40 years and to identify the key factors involved in soil erosion and redistribution processes. To estimate erosion and deposition rates and to elucidate the main factors affecting soil redistribution, samples were collected from six slope transects representative of the local land use and slope gradients and the presence or absence of soil conservation practices. A mass balance and a profile distribution conversion model were used for cultivated areas and areas of natural vegetation, respectively, to derive point estimates of the soil redistribution rates from the 137Cs inventories measured for individual soil bulk cores. In areas without soil conservation practices, the estimated mean soil erosion rates ranged from 12.7 to 26.4 t/ha·yr, which correspond to the slight and moderate erosion classes. The erosivity of Mediterranean climatic conditions combined with the influence of agricultural practices and slope gradient on soil erosion, represent the main factors responsible for the variation of soil losses documented for the cultivated land located in downslope areas, in the absence of soil conservation practices. Deposition dominated for those transects affected by soil conservation practices, with rates ranging between 18.8 and 96.6 t/ha·yr. However, this situation does not mean that soil conservation measures retain all the sediment, but rather that agriculture and urbanization (i.e. new rural paths and stone boundaries) modified the micro-topography and diverted sediment from other upslope zones towards the slopes where sampling transects were located.     

沙漠公路风蚀破坏规律的数值模拟研究

通过Fluent软件对沙漠公路的风蚀破坏规律进行数值模拟研究。分析公路不同横断面时风沙流扰动、增速、减速、恢复的过程,确定路基(堑)高度、边坡坡率和路面宽度等公路断面设计参数对风沙流扰动的影响,提出沙漠公路路基(堑)风蚀破坏规律。结果表明：路面宽度的改变对路基沿程风速变化影响较小,各特征点处风速变化小于5%。路基(堑)高度和边坡坡率对风沙流扰动的影响较大。随路基(堑)高度增加,风沙流流场的扰动被增强,路基(堑)风蚀破坏越显著,当边坡坡率为1:1时,路基模型高度250 mm时的迎风路肩风速为模型高度60 mm时的 1.15倍,其背风坡脚风速降低45%;路堑模型高度250 mm时的背风堑顶风速为模型高度60 mm时的1.05倍,迎风堑脚处风速降低高达80%。建议沙漠公路宜采用中低路基(堑),不宜高填深挖。当路基(堑)高度一定,边坡坡率为1:1.75或1:2时,路基(堑)沿程风速变化平缓,沙漠路肩不易被吹蚀破坏;路堑中堑脚位置处不易出现堆积。其结论与室内风蚀风洞试验结果有很好的一致性