Controlling factors of gullying in the Maracujá Catchment,southeastern Brazil

Hundreds of gullies (‘voçorocas’) of huge dimensions (up to 400–500 m long, 150 m wide and 50 m deep) are very common in the small Maracujá Catchment in southeastern Brazil. These erosional features, which occur with an uneven intensity throughout the area, started due to bad soil management practices at the beginning of European settlement, at the end of the 17th century, and nowadays are still evolving, but at a slower rate. As surface soils are usually very resistant to erosion, the outcrop of the more erodible basement saprolites seems to be an essential condition for their beginning. An analysis of well known erosion controlling factors was performed, aiming to explain the beginning and evolution of these gullies and to understand the reasons for their spatial distribution. Data shows that geology and, mainly, geomorphology are the main controlling factors, since gullies tend to be concentrated in basement rock areas with lower relief (domain 2) of Maracujá Catchment, mainly at the fringes of broad and flat interfluves. At the detailed scale (1:10 000), gullies are more common in amphitheatre‐like headwater hollows that frequently represent upper Quaternary gullies (paleogullies), which demonstrate the recurrence of channel erosion. So, gullies occur in areas of thicker saprolites (domain 2), in places with a natural concentration of surface and underground water (hollows). Saprolites of the preserved, non‐eroded hollows are usually pressurized (confined aquifer) due to a thick seal of Quaternary clay layer, in a similar configuration to the ones found in hollows of mass movement (mudflow) sites in southeastern Brazil. Therefore, the erosion of the resistant soils by human activities, such as road cuts and trenches (‘valos’), or their mobilization by mudflow movements, seem to be likely mechanisms of gullying initiation. Afterwards, gullies evolve by a combination of surface and underground processes, such as wash and tunnel erosion and falls and slumps of gully walls. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

全球视野下崩岗侵蚀地貌及其研究进展

典型的崩岗具有“圆形露天剧场”般的沟头,发育在深厚的红色花岗岩风化壳上,通常包括集水坡面、崩壁、崩积体、沟道、洪积扇5个地貌组成部分;崩壁自上而下可分为表土层、风化红粘土层(红土层)、风化砂质红粘土层(砂土层)、风化粗碎屑层(碎屑层)。中国的崩岗与马达加斯加的lavaka属于同类地貌,两者具有地貌学上的可比性。崩岗群是劣地的表现形式之一,但与欧洲的badland有不同的侵蚀过程,也不同于意大利和巴西的两种沟谷侵蚀地貌calanchi和vocoroca。崩岗主要发育在华南和东南热带和亚热带湿润季风气候区中等偏缓的丘陵坡地上,由沟谷侵蚀发展而成,是沟谷侵蚀的高级阶段。崩岗沟道侵蚀产沙量占崩岗沟谷流域侵蚀产沙量的一半以上,其中沟道沟壁崩塌侵蚀产沙量与沟床下切侵蚀产沙量又各占崩岗沟道侵蚀产沙量的一半左右。野外人工模拟降雨试验是研究崩岗流域侵蚀、产流和产沙过程的有效手段。崩岗流域侵蚀产沙量可以通过崩岗沟谷和洪积扇地形测量加以估算。     

Gully position,characteristics and geomorphic thresholds in an undisturbed catchment in Northern Australia

Gullying is a significant process in the long‐term dynamics and evolution of both natural and rehabilitated (i.e. post‐mining) landscapes. From a landscape management perspective it is important that we understand gully initiation and development, as it is well recognized that catchment disturbance can result in the development of gullies that can be very difficult to rehabilitate. This study examines gully position using geomorphic statistics relating to features such as depth, width and length in a catchment undisturbed by European activity in the Northern Territory, Australia. The results demonstrate that gullying occurs throughout the catchment and that a slope–area threshold does not exist and that gully position broadly follows the catchment area–slope relationship. Simple relationships relating catchment area and slope to gully depth, width and length provide poor results, despite these relationships having been found to apply for ephemeral gullies in cropland. The results suggest that gully initiation thresholds are low as a result of an enhanced fire regime. A threshold model for gully position that uses catchment area and slope to switch between gully and hillslope was evaluated and found broadly to capture gully position. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Maris Gullying: canonical analysis of erosion and sedimentation sequences (Baronnies - France)

Abstract

The gullying action on Jurassic and Cretaceous marls in the Baronnies is observed, warm season after cold season, thanks to a network of measuring stakes arranged in 12 gullies. The climate, characterized by summer heath, rather cold but luminous winters, and quite heavy rain, can be classified as mountainous-mediterranean. Seasonal ablation/sedimentation measures have been carried out upon 119 stakes five times within two years (768 days): two in automn, two in early spring (april), and one at end-of-spring.

Ablation and sedimentation sequences are described among the stakes population by Correspondance Factor Analysis (CFA), and their covariations in space and time are explained by Canonical Correspondance Analysis (CCA) according to biophysical environment variables.

Axis 1 of the CFA opposes ground level variations according to their amplitude, high or moderate, regardless of the direction of variation and of measurement date. Axis 2 presents a temporal variation, opposing, on one side, sedimentation sequences at post-winter terms and ablation sequences at postsummer terms, to their converse on the other side.

The CCA indicates that talwegs in their medium and lower parts are more likely to undergo hard gullying or strong accumulation, especially on steep, or conversely flat, vegetationfree slopes of oxfordian marls; on the contrary, interfluve ridges and Gonson moderate gentle to moderate slopes on cenomanian marls, possibly with some vegetation are less dynamic (canonical axis 1). This result allows to extend former observations on rythmic, contrasted variations of gullies bottoms, well different of interfluves and gonson, progressive, regular, ones.

Owing to their varied reactions to seasonal erosive agents (cryoclasty, concentrated run-off), upper parts of talwegs and lower parts of gully slopes and interfluves (canonical axis 2) originate seasonal contrasts revealed by CFA’s axis 2. However, to insure this point of view, more sampling is needed.     

The character and age structure of valley fills in upper Wolumla Creek catchment,south coast,New South Wales,Australia

Extensive valley fills at the base of the escarpment in upper Wolumla Creek, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, have formed from a combination of ‘cut and fill’ processes. The valley fills comprise series of alternating, horizontally bedded sand and mud units, reflecting reworking of detritus from deeply weathered granites of the Bega Batholith. Sand units are deposited as sand sheets or splays on floodplain surfaces or in floodouts that form atop intact valley fill surfaces downstream of discontinuous gullies. Alternatively, sands are deposited from bedload and form bars or part of the valley floor within channel fills. Organic-rich mud units are deposited from suspension in swamps or in seepage zones at the distal margin of floodouts. Within 5 km of the escarpment, valley deposits grade downstream from sand sheet and splay deposition in floodouts, to mud deposition in swamp and seepage zones. Radiocarbon dates indicate that virtually the entire valley fill of upper Wolumla Creek was excavated prior to 6000 years BP . Remnant terraces are evident at valley margins. The valley subsequently filled between 6000 years BP and 1000 years BP producing valley fills around 12 m deep, but no greater than 300 m wide. Reincision into the valley fill, on a scale smaller than the present incision phase, is indicated at around 1000 years BP , following which the channel refilled. Portion plans dated from 1865 refer to the study area as ‘Wolumla Big Flat’, and show large areas of swampy terrain, suggesting that the valley fill had re-established by this time. Within a few decades of European settlement the valley fill incised once more. Upper Wolumla Creek now has a channel over 10 m deep and 100 m wide in places, draining a catchment area of less than 20 km². © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.