Gully,channel and hillslope erosion – an assessment for a traditionally managed catchment

Understanding landscape features such as gullying and soil erosion is an important issue in the long‐term dynamics and evolution of both natural, agricultural and rehabilitated (i.e. post‐mining) landscapes. Considerable research has been undertaken examining the initiation, movement and overall dynamics of such features. This study reports on a series of 34 gully heads and other erosion features, such as scour holes (five in total), located in channels in a catchment largely undisturbed by European activity in the Northern Territory, Australia over a 5 year period (2002–2007). During this period the erosion features were monitored for their headward advance/retreat, enlargement or in‐filling. The erosion features ranged in depth from 0.2 m to 1.5 m and widths of 0.3 m to 8 m. Hillslope erosion was also monitored using erosion pins. The catchment was subject to a range of rainfall regimes including extreme rainfall and a Category 5 cyclone and also was burnt every second year so that all grass cover was removed according to traditional management practice. The results of this monitoring show that the erosion features have changed little during this 5 year period. A remote sensing assessment found no relationship between erosion feature morphology and hillslope erosion. The monitored gullies heads and scour holes appear to be resilient landscape features, yet have a morphology that suggests they are ready for rapid headward movement and expansion, leading to a destabilisation of the catchment. Hillslope erosion was found to be related to wetness indices derived from a digital elevation model. Significant linkages were found between hillslope erosion and change in erosion feature depth, indicative of a strong hillslope–channel coupling. Copyright © 2010 Commonwealth of Australia     

Suitability of LiDAR point density and derived landform curvature maps for channel network extraction

This study uses landform curvature as an approach for channel network extraction. We considered a study area located in the eastern Italian Alps where a high‐quality set of LiDAR data was available and where channel heads and related channel network were mapped in the field. In the analysis, we derived 1‐m DTMs from different ground LiDAR point densities, and we used different smoothing factors for the landscape curvature calculation in order to test the suitability of the LiDAR point density and the derived curvature maps for the recognition of channel network. This methodology is based on threshold values of the curvature calculated as multiples (1–3 times) of the standard deviation of the curvature. Our analyses suggested that (i) the window size for curvature calculations has to be a function of the size of the features to be detected, (ii) a coarse ground LiDAR point density could be as useful as a finer one for the recognition of main channel network features and (iii) rougher curvature maps are not optimal as they do not explore a sufficient range at which features occur, while smoother curvature maps overcome this problem and are more appropriate for the extraction of surveyed channels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment transport in ice-covered channels

The existence of ice cover has important effects on sediment transport and channel morphology for rivers in areas with an annual occurrence of an ice season. The interaction of sediment transport and s...     

Provision,transport and deposition of debris in urban waterways

The transport of woody debris from urban surfaces,through local urban waterways,to constriction and blockage risk locations is not well understood.Flume trials have identified debris and watercourse dimensions as influential factors on debris movement,and large woody debris movement has been traced in the natural rural environment using time series photography,active transponders,and field surveys.Using novel passive transponder technology,small woody debris has been traced through an urban case study watercourse to establish key influential factors on urban debris transport.Through incorporating urban debris transport detail into the source and deposition process,a complete picture of urban debris transport can be created,supporting effective culvert and trash screen design,watercourse maintenance and blockage risk assessment.This case study highlights that factors beyond watercourse depth and velocity are influential in debris movement within an urban watercourse.Debris dimension and source location upstream are shown to significantly affect the potential for debris to reach a downstream constriction,illustrating a possible distance limitation in nuisance flow debris blockage risk.     

Spatio‐temporal patterns of channel changes in response to a major flood event: the case of the Magra River (central–northern Italy)

On October 25^th 2011, the Magra River (central–northern Italy) was affected by a significant flood event with an estimated return interval ranging from 30 to 200 years. This study investigates the morphological responses of the Magra River to this major flood event with the aims of (i) documenting the channel changes which occurred in response to the flood; (ii) analysing this response within the context of the historical trend of width changes; (iii) investigating the possible factors controlling the spatial pattern and the intensity of the observed changes. Significant channel widening was documented along the entire length studied (about 34 km), ranging from 3% to 90% of the pre‐flood channel width. Braided reaches were characterized by the most severe planimetric changes. Although characterized by high rates of change, these variations are, however, amply included in the historical range of channel width variability over approximately the last 150 years (from 1877 to present day), and are comparable with ( though generally lower than) the channel width of the 1950s. Statistical analyses (simple and multiple regressions) between the observed changes in channel width and a series of selected morphological and hydraulic controlling factors showed no robust correlations to explain the spatial pattern and the variability of channel adjustments. Instead, major adjustments occurred along reaches characterized by the confluence of those streams draining the sub‐catchments where the storm was concentrated. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Joint isotopic mass balance: a novel approach to quantifying channel bed to channel margins sediment transfer during storm events

The important role of floodplains and the broader riparian zone in providing temporary storage for a large fraction of the annual sediment load of rivers is well established, but this understanding is largely based on observations of the long‐term average behavior of the catchment. Here we combine measurements of the fallout radionuclides ⁷Be and ²¹⁰Pb and the stable isotopes of hydrogen in water to quantify fine sediment mobilization and storage in a stream and its channel margins during individual intermediate‐sized storm events with recurrence intervals of a few months or less. We demonstrate this method using five storm events in a small (~15 km²), undeveloped, gravel‐bedded tributary of the Connecticut River (USA). We estimate that in each storm, the mass of sediment deposited onto the margins accounts for almost 90% of the sediment mobilized from the bed, with the remainder of the mobilized bed sediment transported downstream as suspended load. The result that the bed is a net source of sediment to the stream and the margins a net sink is robust, but estimates of the mass of material eroded from the bed and deposited on the margins are less certain. The source of sediment to the bed remains unclear as, consistent with earlier studies, we observe only limited deposition of sediment to the bed during the storm events. The suspended sediment is organic‐rich and thus its source may be associated with in‐channel organic decay between storm events. Understanding the coupled interactions between discharge magnitude and frequency and sediment resupply at the event time scale has important implications for stream restoration efforts seeking to connect the channel and the broader riparian zone, and for the development of accurate sediment budgets and predictions of sediment flux from a watershed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

自然灾害应急救灾的若干经验和建议

自然灾害应急救灾是社会危机管理的重要内容, 也是对一个国家综合国力、政府危机管理水平和社会精神文明建设成果的直接检验. 近几十年来, 我国应急救灾管理体制在应对数次大规模突发性自然灾害的实践中得到不断完善与发展. 通过多年参与应急救灾一线工作实践, 总结归纳了几点有助于救灾管理体制向着法制化、科学化、规范化和有序性方向发展的体会和建议, 以期能对灾害危机管理人员和受灾群众的自救互救工作有所启示.     

玉泉山泉九龙山-香峪向斜的水文地质意义

玉泉山岩溶水是北京市城市用水的主要水源。玉泉山泉水的补给,多数人认为来源于鲁家滩区、河北镇区以及军庄区岩溶水共同补给。岩溶水从军庄区（含永定河水的渗漏量）到达玉泉山要越过中间九龙山-香峪向斜。目前其向斜内钻孔所揭露的奥陶系碳酸盐岩顶板最大埋深1 669 m。就军庄区岩溶水是如何穿越九龙山-香峪向斜并补给玉泉山泉的,目前存在以下两种认识:岩溶含水层导水观点、军庄（永定河）断裂导水的观点。本文通过地质结构、地下水流场、岩溶发育机理以及水质组分含量的分析认为,军庄区岩溶水通过岩溶含水层越过深陷向斜到达玉泉山一带的径流路径存在较大的疑问,进而提出了首先通过上覆永定河松散层潜流过向斜轴部,而后在南部岩溶含水层隆起的红庙岭—八大处背斜轴通过断裂破碎带二次进入岩溶含水层并向玉泉山补给的另一种可能路径。      

0.9 m薄煤层SH型槽波频散特征及波形模式

在0.9 m薄煤层中使用放炮方法做微震震源的条件,通过对所采集到的薄煤层槽波信号进行分析,发现薄煤层槽波在频域中存在高频和低频两个独立并且不连续的波段.其中高频区大约以2000 Hz为中心,低频域的中心频率约为490 Hz,并且高频域和低频域的能量差异不显著.通过时频分析,可以清晰地看到高、低两个频域几乎在同一时刻触发,并且其小波相关系数在这两个域中的分布规律表现出一定的相似性.通过对0.9 m薄煤层槽波频散曲线的理论分析可知,现场观测到的Airy震相的频率及速度和其理论值较为接近.震源置于煤层中心,且炸药能量对顶底板的扰动,对第二阶对称波形模式下槽波高频部分的形成起着关键作用.在这一对称高阶波形模式下槽波的波速基本上和煤层顶底板中S波的波速一致.由于这两个触发的波形模式在时间域中具有相似的特征,建议在高频域和低频域同时发育较好的薄煤层槽波勘探中,可以采用在同一时间域中高低频相结合的方法提高利用槽波勘探分析的效果.     

采动区远程卸压煤层气抽采地面井产能影响因素

以淮南矿区远程卸压煤层气地面井抽采工程实践为依托,通过工程试验和系统分析,探讨了远程卸压煤层气地面井的产能特点及其影响因素。研究结果表明,远程卸压煤层气地面井的产能曲线可分为两个阶段,在较短时间内顺利完成第Ⅰ阶段的井才能有较高产能。研究还显示,煤层气地面井产能受地层结构和采动影响较大。在研究区,当地层结构为松散层厚度<406 m,基岩与松散层厚度比值>0.74,下保护层与被保护层间距为6670 m,且平均采高≤2.2 m,平均产煤低于3 898 t/d时,利于远程卸压煤层气地面井抽采;当松散层厚度>430 m,11-2煤和13-1煤层间距>74 m,基岩与松散层厚度比值<0.7时,卸压煤层气地面直井成功率较低,此时,可通过改变井位和优化井身结构来适应地层结构的变化,提高地面井抽采成功率。