Modelling the runoff-sediment yield relationship using a proportional function in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China

Based on data observed at the 12 small watersheds in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China, the relationship between event runoff volume and sediment yield is examined. The results reveal that the runoff-sediment yield relationship at the inter-event timescale is mainly determined by the runoff-sediment concentration relationship at the intra-event timescale. In the study area, the sediment concentration tends to be stable when the flow discharge exceeds a certain critical value. Many factors that are important for determining the characteristics of low-magnitude events, such as flow discharge, particle size of fluvial sediment, and accumulation of loose material on land surfaces prior to a rainstorm, appear to have little importance for high-magnitude events. Consequently, mean sediment concentration tends to be stable for large flood events, suggesting a strong similarity between the two flow-sediment relationships at inter-and intra-event temporal scales. Furthermore, a proportional function is proposed to predict event sediment yield, and the correspondence between the predicted and observed sediment yields is examined. The performance of the model is good for high-magnitude events, especially extreme events. The applicability of the proposed model at the annual timescale is also discussed.     

Comparative study on rain splash erosion of representative soils in China

As the first event of soil erosion, rain splash erosion supplies materials for subsequent transportation and entrainment. The Loess Plateau, the southern hilly region and the Northeast China are subject to serious soil and water loss; however, the characteristics of rain splash erosion in those regions are still unclear. The objectives of the study are to analyze the characteristics of splash erosion on loess soil, red soil, purple soil and black soil, and to discuss the relationship between splash erosion and soil properties. Soil samples spatially distributed in the abovementioned regions were collected and underwent simulated rainfalls at a high intensity of 1.2mm/min, lasting for 5, 10, 15, and 20min, respectively. Rain splash and soil crust development were analyzed. It shows that black soil sample from Heilongjiang Province corresponds to the minimum splash erosion amount because it has high aggregate content, aggregate stability and organic matter content. Loess soil sample from Inner Mongolia corresponds to the maximum splash erosion amount because it has high content of sand particles. Loess soil sample from Shanxi Province has relatively lower splash erosion amount because it has high silt particle content and low aggregate stability easily to be disrupted under rainfalls with high intensity. Although aggregate contents of red soil and purple soil samples from Hubei and Guangdong provinces are high, the stability is weak and prone to be disrupted, so the splash erosion amount is medium. Splash rate which fluctuates over time is observed because soil crust development follows a cycling processes of formation and disruption. In addition, there are two locations of soil crust development, one appears at the surface, and the other occurs at the subsurface.     

分布式侵蚀产沙模型研究进展

随着计算机技术与地理信息系统(GIS) 技术的发展, 分布式侵蚀产沙模型成为当今土壤侵 蚀领域研究重点与发展方向。本文在分析国内外几个主要的分布式侵蚀产沙模型基础上, 探讨了 分布式侵蚀产沙模型的技术路线与技术实现, 最后指出目前我国分布式侵蚀产沙模型研究存在 的主要问题: ( 1) 分布式水文模型的深入研究为分布式侵蚀产沙模型提供了不少借鉴, 但如何在 分布式水文模型的基础上开发侵蚀模块还存在一些问题; ( 2) 目前国内分布式土壤侵蚀模型大都 基于黄土高原而得出, 模型有一定的局限性; ( 3) 当前的大多侵蚀产沙的关系式( 尤其是坡面侵蚀 关系式) 是经验型的, 汇沙的过程考虑得过于简单, 没有深入探讨水文与土壤侵蚀之间的关系; ( 4) 目前大多数分布式土壤侵蚀模型没有考虑次暴雨产流的时间变化与空间变化。     

用坡面增量系数进行区域地势评价的尝试--以江西省泰和县为例

选择山地、丘陵、河谷平原等层状地形构造特征突出的江西省泰和县为例,基于Arc/Info和Arcview等GIS软件的空间分析功能,使用25 m×25m的DEM数据源建立了数字坡度模型,并与乡级行政区划图进行叠加分析,计算出以乡(镇)为单位的地表坡面面积增量.进而根据坡地的坡度越陡其地表面积增量越大的原理,将坡面面积增量与其投影面积的比定义为坡面增量系数(Increment Coefficient if Slope Area,ICSA),以ICSA为量化指标,探讨了区域地势评价的方法.     

表土结皮发育过程及其侵蚀响应研究进展

表土结皮是降雨后某些土壤表面普遍存在的现象，它是在降雨与土壤的相互作用下发育的；本文在综览大量文献的基础上，得出表土结皮研究还存在着很多有待深入的领域。一方面，由于影响降雨、土壤的因子复杂多变，因此表土结皮本身的形成过程很复杂，研究者的结论也有所不同。另一方面，表土结皮作为一种特殊的下垫面，影响坡面侵蚀的各子过程，但是影响机理还不清楚。表土结皮对坡面侵蚀过程的影响研究已经取得了一些定性方面的进展，但为了完善坡面侵蚀物理模型和达到准确的预报预测，定量研究还有待进一步深入和细化。     

The relative importance of soil crust and slope angle in runoff and soil loss: a case study in the hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China

Soil crust and slope angle are of important factors affecting runoff production and sediment yield. In the hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, North China, slope lands are distributed extensively and subjected to soil crusting; therefore, the research on the responses of runoff and soil loss to soil crust and slope angle is essential to soil and water conservation. In the study, five pairs of 1 m × 5 m plots with slope angles of 5°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 25° respectively, were established in Wangjiagou watershed, which was located at the Loess Plateau, China. Based on the two simulated rainfall events, uncrusted surface prior to the first simulated rainfall event, and crusted surface prior to the second rainfall event were distinguished. The runoff production and soil loss were measured at intervals of 5 min during the simulated events. It indicated that both soil crust and slope angle played an important role in runoff production and soil loss. With the reference slope angle of 5°, the relative importance of soil crust and slope angle in runoff production was calculated. It showed that soil crust effect on the total runoff volume decreased from 100 to ～40%, while slope angle effect increased from 0 to ～60% with increasing slope angle because soil crust less developed on the steeper slopes. Furthermore, soil crust effect was associated with rainfall duration. At the same slope angle, the relative importance of soil crust decreased with rainfall duration because new crust was formed on the uncrusted surface. The critical slope of erosion was also discussed. Soil loss increased with slope angle when the slope angle was less than 20°. Generally speaking, soil crust effect decreased with slope angle and/or rainfall duration.     

SEDIMENT YIELD MODELING FOR SINGLE STORM EVENTS BASED ON HEAVY-DISCHARGE STAGE CHARACTERIZED BY STABLE SEDIMENT CONCENTRATION

The relation between runoff volume and sediment yield for individual events in a given watershed receives little attention compared to the relation between water discharge and sediment yield, though it may underlie the event-based sediment-yield model for large-size watershed. The data observed at 12 experimental subwatersheds in the Dalihe river watershed in hilly areas of Loess Plateau, North China, was selected to develop and validate the relation. The peak flow is often considered as an important factor affecting event sediment yield. However, in the study areas, sediment concentration remains relatively constant when water discharge exceeds a certain critical value, implying that the heavier flow is not accompanied with the higher sediment transport capacity. Hence, only the runoff volume factor was considered in the sediment-yield model. As both the total sediment and runoff discharge were largely produced during the heavy-discharge stage, and the sediment concentration was negligibly variable during this stage, a proportional function can be used to model the relation between event runoff volume and sediment yield for a given subwatershed. The applicability of this model at larger spatial scales was also discussed, and it was found that for the Yaoxinzhuang station at the Puhe River basin, which controls a drainage area of 2264km2, a directly proportional relation between event runoff volume and sediment yield may also exist.