The contribution of gully erosion to total sediment production in a small watershed in Southwest China

Determining the contribution of gully erosion to the total sediment yield is important for enhancing decision-making regarding sediment abatement and soil conservation measures. The dry-hot valley region of the Jinsha River is one of the most intensive areas of gully erosion in China. However, the contribution of gully erosion to total sediment production in this region is unclear. Instead of using the source tracing technique commonly employed in other studies, this study provides a method of rapidly reconstructing historical sediment yields based on the properties of sediment that accumulated in an undrained pond at a small gully watershed outlet. We produced a three-dimensional model in geographical information system software to calculate the volume of each layer of accumulated pond deposits from 2006 to 2011. Moreover, we estimated sheet erosion amounts using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. The results showed that sheet erosion accounted for between 14.28 and 23.39% of the total sediment yield in the watershed in the case that the sediment delivery ratio was 100%. Therefore, gully erosion is the major source of total soil loss in this area, and effective soil measures of gully erosion mitigation are crucial for managing the sediment yield.     

FIELD INVESTIGATION INTO DEBRIS FLOW MECHANISM

1.INTRODUCTIONDebrisflowisadistincttypeofmassmovementcommonlytriggeredbyintenserainfallandmeltingsnowonsteephillslopes.Althoughgreateffortshavebeenmadeinthestudyofthemechanismofthemotion,considerableambiguitypersistsconcerningtheinitiationandmotionofdebrisflow.Debrisflowcanbeinitiatedinsteepslopebecauseofthehighgravitationalforceandcanalsobetriggeredbyheavyrainstormongentleslopebyhighscouringcapacityofthetorrentialflood.Debrisflowisturbulentbecauseofitshighflowvelocityinsomecircumstancesa…     

由系统功能看蒋家沟荒漠化的发生与发展

在定量计算蒋家沟生态系统能量流和物质流的基础上,分析了系统的功能状况,结果表明该系统功能低下,对人畜数量的稳定支持能力校低,是一个掠夺型的农业生态系统。随系统中经济的发展,人畜超载,导致滥伐、滥垦、滥牧,森林植被遭到严重破坏,以泥石流过程为主的荒漠化得以发生和发展。     

Real‐time measurement and preliminary analysis of debris‐flow impact force at Jiangjia Ravine,China

Impact forces associated with major debris flows (Jiangjia Ravine, China, August 25, 2004) were recorded in real time by a system consisting of three strain sensors installed at different flow depths. This provides the first real‐time and long‐duration record of impact forces associated with debris flows. A comprehensive approach including low‐pass filtering and moving average methods were used to preprocess the recorded signals. The upper limit of impact frequency in the debris flows was estimated at 188?66 Hz under the assumption that only coarse grains cause effective impact loadings. Thus, a low‐pass filter with a 200 Hz cut‐off frequency was needed to denoise the original data in order to extract the impact force. Then the moving average method was applied to separate long‐term and random components of the filtered data. These were interpreted as, respectively, the fluid pressure and grain impact loading. It was found that the peak grain impacts at different depths were non‐synchronous within the debris flows. The impact loadings were far greater than, and not proportional to the fluid pressures. Analysis of the impact force of 38 debris flow surges gives an empirical value for the ratio of the hydrodynamic pressure to the momentum flow density, i.e. the product of debris‐flow density and mean velocity square, which provides a very valuable basis for understanding debris flow dynamics and designing debris flow management systems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two-dimensional numerical model for debris flows in the Jiangjia Gully, Yunnan Province

Debris flows are recurrent natural hazards in many mountainous regions.This paper presents a numerical study on the propagation of debris flows in natural erodible open channels,in which the bed erosion and sedimentation processes are important.Based on the Bingham fluid theory,a mathematical model of the two-dimensional non-constant debris flow is developed.The governing equations include the continuity and momentum conservation equations of debris flow,the sediment convection-diffusion equation,the bed erosion-deposition equation and the bed-sediment size gradation adjustment equation.The yield stress and shear stress components are included to describe the dynamic rheological properties.The upwind control-volume Finite Volume Method (FVM) is applied to discretize the convection terms.The improved SIMPLE algorithm with velocity-free-surface coupled correction is developed to solve the equations on non-orthogonal,quadrilateral grids.The model is applied to simulate a debris flow event in Jiangjia Gully,Yunnan Province and to predict the flow pattern and bed erosion-deposition processes.The results show the effectiveness of the proposed numercial model in debris flow simulation and potential hazard analysis.     

四川冕宁盐井沟泥石流综合治理工程浅议

1970年后盐井沟矿山泥石流频发。1986年以来建成的治理工程有:排土场导流堤,5号格(?)坝,3号拦沙坝,并正在开展着生物治理工程。综合治理工程发挥了良好的防护作用。     

陇东黄土塬区不同下垫面条件下侵蚀产沙的降雨阈值

根据陇东黄土高塬沟壑区典型小流域——南小河沟流域1954—2014年实测降雨产沙资料,应用降雨侵蚀力偏差系数法研究不同土地利用类型及空间尺度下侵蚀产沙的雨量阈值、雨强阈值及复合阈值标准,并通过对比分析确定了最优降雨阈值标准。结果表明:① 对于林地和草地坡面小区,其雨量阈值标准平均值（21.0 mm）较裸地（8.7 mm）和农地（9.7 mm）坡面小区分别提高了141%和116%,植被措施能够显著提高降雨阈值标准。② 杨家沟林地小流域的雨量阈值标准为16.5 mm,低于布设在该流域的林地坡面小区,同时对比董庄沟草地小流域及其坡面和全坡面小区的雨量阈值标准,其大小亦为:草地坡面尺度 > 草地全坡面尺度 > 草地小流域尺度,由此可见,降雨阈值标准会随着空间尺度增大而减小。③ 降雨阈值标准综合评价结果表明,各样点最优降雨阈值标准均为P≥a或I₃₀≥b这一复合因子标准,而在降雨单因子阈值标准中,对于农耕地和裸地坡面小区,宜采用最大30 min雨强（I₃₀）标准;对于经过水土流失治理的下垫面,宜采用雨量（P）标准。该研究可为区域土壤侵蚀预报提供参考。     

Soil and bedrock distribution estimated from gully form and frequency: A GIS-based decision-tree model for Lebanon

Torrential rainfall and relatively sparse vegetation in the Mediterranean region result in the development of gully systems and land degradation, notably on lands with specific types of soil and bedrock. This paper proposes a decision-tree model to predict the distribution of soil and bedrock susceptible to gully erosion (white Rendzinas and marly rocks) from the form and frequency of gullies. The study area is located in Lebanon and the model is linked to GIS. V-fold cross-validation of the pruned model indicates that gully features including cross-section size and shape, network frequency, types of meandering, and catchment area can explain 80% of variance in soil/rock properties. The overall accuracy of the soil/rock map was estimated to be ca. 87%. The proposed model is relatively simple, and may also be applied to other areas. It is particularly useful when information about soil and rock obtained from conventional field surveys is limited.     

Sediment source changes over the last 250 years in a dry-tropical catchment, central Queensland, Australia

Rivers draining to the Great Barrier Reef are receiving increased attention with the realisation that European land use changes over the last  150 years may have increased river sediment yields, and that these may have adversely affected the reef environment. Mitigation of the effects associated with such changes is only possible if information on the spatial provenance and dominant types of erosion is known. To date, very few field-based studies have attempted to provide this information. This study uses fallout radionuclide (¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb_ex) and geochemical tracing of river bed and floodplain sediments to examine sources over the last  250 years for Theresa Creek, a subcatchment of the Fitzroy River basin, central Queensland, Australia. A Monte Carlo style mixing model is used to predict the relative contribution of both the spatial (geological) sources and erosion types. The results indicate that sheetwash and rill erosion from cultivated basaltic land and channel erosion from non-basaltic parts of the catchment are currently contributing most sediment to the river system. Evidence indicates that the dominant form of channel erosion is gully headcut and sidewall erosion. Sheetwash and rill erosion from uncultivated land (i.e., grazed pasture/woodland) is a comparatively minor contributor of sediment to the river network. Analysis of the spatial provenance of floodplain core sediments, in conjunction with optical dating and ¹³⁷Cs depth profile data, suggests that a phase of channel erosion was initiated in the late nineteenth century. With the development of land underlain by basalt in the mid-twentieth century the dominant source of erosion shifted to cultivated land, although improvements in land management practices have probably resulted in a decrease in sediment yield from cultivated areas in the later half of the twentieth century. On a basin-wide scale, because of the limited spatial extent of cultivation, channel sources are likely to be the largest contributor of sediment to the Fitzroy River. Accordingly, catchment management measures focused on reducing sediment delivery to the Great Barrier Reef should focus primarily on decreasing erosion from channel sources.     

CONTROL OF GULLY EROSION USING STIFF GRASSES

Concentrated flow can cause gully formation on sloping lands and in riparian zones. Current practice for riparian gully erosion control involves blocking the gully with a structure comprised of an earthen embankment and a metal or plastic pipe. Measures involving native vegetation would be more attractive for habitat recovery and economic reasons. To test the hypothesis that switchgrass （Panicum virgatum L.） hedges planted at 0.5-m vertical intervals within a gully would control erosion, a series of hedges was established in four concentrated flow channels. Two of the channels were previously eroded trapezoidal channels cut into compacted fill in an outdoor laboratory. The other two channels were natural gullies located at the edge of floodplain fields adjacent to an incised stream. While vegetation was dormant, artificial runoff events were created in the two laboratory gullies and one of the natural gullies using synthetic trapezoidal-shaped hydrographs with peak discharge rates of approximately 0.03, 0.07, and 0.16 m3/s. During these tests flow depth, velocity, turbidity, and soil pore water pressures were monitored. The fourth gully was subjected to a series of natural runoff events over a five-month period with peaks up to 0.09 m3/s. Flow depths in all tests were generally 〈 0.3 m, and flow velocities varied spatially and exceeded 2.0 m/s at the steepest points of the gullies. Erosion rates were negligible for controlled flow experiments, but natural flows in the fourth gully resulted in 1 m ofthalweg degradation, destroying the central portions of the grass hedges, most likely due to the highly erodible nature of the soils at this site. Geotechnical modeling of soil steps reinforced with switchgrass roots showed factors of safety 〉 1 for step heights 〈 0.5 m, but instability was indicated for step heights 〉1 m, consistent with the experimental observations.