Numerical Simulation of Preferential Flow of Contaminants in Soil

A simple modeling approach was suggested to simulate preferential transport of water and contaminants in soil. After saturated hydraulic conductivity was interpolated by means of Krige interpolation method or scaling method, and then zoned, the locations where saturated hydraulic conductivity was larger represented regions where preferential flow occurred, because heterogeneity of soil, one of the mechanisms resulting in preferential flow, could be reflected through the difference in saturated hydraulic conductivity. The modeling approach was validated through numerical simulation of contaminant transport in a two-dimensional hypothetical soil profile. The results of the numerical simulation showed that the approach suggested in this study was feasible.

Introducing Fractal Dimension to Estimation of Soil Sensitivity to Preferential Flow

Food dye Brilliant Blue was introduced as the tracer in a dye-tracing experiment to obtain dye profile patterns of sandy loam soil, aeolian sandy soil, percolating paddy soil and permeable paddy soil. The dyed soil profiles were then photographed and the photos were scanned into a computer. Edited with certain software, only the dyed areas were left on the profile photos, which indicted the preferential flow paths for water and solute transport. Fractal dimensions of the dye patterns were calculated according to Arnold's function. Soil particle size distribution was analyzed by pipette method. The regression analysis showed that there was significant relationship between soil clay content and fractal dimension D of the dye pattern of soil profile. Based on the experiment results, the possibility of introducing fractal dimension to estimation of soil sensitivity to preferential flow is discussed.

Subsurface Flow Processes in Sloping Cropland of Purple Soil

Subsurface flow is a prominent runoff process in sloping lands of purple soil in the upper Yangtze River basin.However,it remains difficult to identify and quantify.In this study,in situ runoff experimental plots were used to measure soil moisture dynamics using an array of time domain reflectometry(TDR) together with overland flow and subsurface flow using isolated collecting troughs.Frequency of preferential flow during rainfall events and the controls of subsurface flow processes were investigated through combined analysis of soil properties,topography,rainfall intensity,initial wetness,and tillage.Results showed that subsurface flow was ubiquitous in purple soil profiles due to welldeveloped macropores,especially in surface soils while frequency of preferential flow occurrence was very low(only 2 cases in plot C) during all 22 rainfall events.Dry antecedent moisture conditions promoted the occurrence of preferential flow.However,consecutive real-time monitoring of soil moisture at different depths and various slope positions implied the possible occurrence of multiple subsurface lateral flows during intensive storms.Rainfall intensity,tillage operation,and soil properties were recognized as main controls of subsurface flow in the study area,which allows the optimization of management practices for alleviating adverse environmental effects of subsurface flow in the region.

A Regional-Scale Method of Forecasting Debris Flow Events Based on Water-Soil Coupling Mechanism

A debris flow forecast model based on a water-soil coupling mechanism that takes the debrisflow watershed as a basic forecast unit was established here for the prediction of disasters at the watershed scale.This was achieved through advances in our understanding of the formation mechanism of debris flow.To expand the applicable spatial scale of this forecasting model,a method of identifying potential debris flow watersheds was used to locate areas vulnerable to debris flow within a forecast region.Using these watersheds as forecasting units and a prediction method based on the water-soil coupling mechanism,a new forecasting method of debris flow at the regional scale was established.In order to test the prediction ability of this new forecasting method,the Sichuan province,China was selected as a study zone and the large-scale debris flow disasters attributable to heavy rainfall in this region on July 9,2013 were taken as the study case.According to debris flow disaster data on July 9,2013 which were provided by the geo-environmental monitoring station of Sichuan province,there were 252 watersheds in which debris flow events actually occurred.The current model predicted that 265 watersheds were likely to experience a debris flow event.Among these,43 towns including 204 debrisflow watersheds were successfully forecasted and 24 towns including 48 watersheds failed.The false prediction rate and failure prediction rate of thisforecast model were 23% and 19%,respectively.The results show that this method is more accurate and more applicable than traditional methods.

Mechanisms involved in triggering debris flows,within a cohesive gravel soil mass on a slope:a case in SW China

The triggering mechanisms of debris flows were explored in the field using artificial rainfall experiments in two gullies, Dawazi Gully and Aizi Gully, in Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces, China,respectively. The soils at both sites are bare, loose and cohesive gravel-dominated. The results of a direct shear test, rheological test and back-analysis using soil mass stability calculations indicate that the mechanisms responsible for triggering debris flows involved the decreases in static and dynamic resistance of the soil. The triggering processes can be divided into 7 stages: rainfall infiltration, generation of excess runoff, high pore water pressure, surface erosion, soil creep, soil slipping, debris flow triggering and debris flow increment. In addition, two critical steps are evident:(i) During the process of the soil mass changing from a static to a mobile state, its cohesion decreased sharply(e.g., the cohesion of the soil mass in Dawazi Gully decreased from 0.520 to0.090 k Pa, a decrease of 83%). This would have reduced the soil strength and the kinetic energy during slipping, eventually triggered the debris flow.(ii) When the soil mass began to slip, the velocity and the volume increment of the debris flow fluctuated as a result of the interaction of soil resistance and the sliding force. The displaced soil mass from the source area of the slope resulted in the deposition of a volume of soil more than 7-8 times greater than that in the source area.

Effect of clay content to the strength of gravel soil in the source region of debris flow

The production of runoff in the source area of a debris flow is the consequence of a reduction in soil strength. Gravel soil is widely distributed in the source region, and the influence of its clay content on soil strength is one of the important questions regarding the formation mechanism of debris flows. In this paper, the clay content in gravel soil is divided into groups of low clay content(1%, 2, 5%), moderate clay content(3.75%, 5.00%, 6.25%, 7.5%) and high clay content(10.0%, 12.5%, 15%). Tests of the unconsolidated undrained shear strength and consolidated drained shear strength were performed. The unconsolidated undrained shearing(UU) experiment simulates the rapid shear failure of loose gravel soil under the conditions of brief heavy rainfall. The consolidated drained shearing(CD) experiment simulates creep failure of consolidated sediment during extended rainfall. The pore water pressure first increased and then decreased as the clay content increased, and the increase in pore pressure was relatively high in the gravel soil sample when the clay content is in the range of 3.25-7.50%, and stress in the gravel soil is relatively low for a moderate clay content. Gravelly soils with a moderate clay content are moreprone to debris-flow initiation. This paper presents a mathematical formula for the maximum shear stress and clay content of gravel soil under two conditions. The key processes whereby the soil fails and triggers a debris flow—volume contraction of soil, expansion of clay soil, and rise of pore pressure―cause reductions in the soil friction force and enhancement of the water content in the clay particles, and subsurface erosion of soil reduces the soil viscosity, which eventually reduces the soil strength so that the soil loses its stability, liquefies and generates a debris flow.

Characteristics of Channeling Flow in Cultivated Horizon of Saline Rice Soil

By applying bromide ion as tracer,the channeling flow has been quantitatively described in saline rice soil and alkaline soil of Da,an City,Jilin Province of China.Breakthrough curves of bromide ion in the saline rice soils after 1-year cultivation and 5-year cultivation and alkaline soil have been attained.Results show that the rice cultivation practice can improve the alkaline soil structure,however,it can accelerate the development of channeling flow pathway.Therefore,the channeling flow pathway has been developed widely in saline rice soil,but rarely in the alkaline soil.Three models of convection-dispersion equation(CDE),transfer functional model(TFM) and Back-Progation Network(BP Network) were used to simulate the transportation process of bromide ion.The peaks of probability density function of saline rice soil are higher with left skewed feature compared with that of the alkaline soil.It shows that the TFM and CDE can simulate the transportation process of the bromide ion in saline rice soil after 5-year cultivation,however,some deviation exists when it was used to simulate transportation process of bromide ion in saline rice soil after 1-year cul-tivation and alkaline soil;BP network can effectively simulate transportation process of bromide ion in both saline rice soil and alkaline soil.

Influence of sand content on the flow characteristics of soft soil under cyclic and high-frequency vibration

The flow characteristics of foundation soils subjected to train loads can present engineering hazards in highspeed railways. In order to verify the feasibility of blending coarse sand in modifying soft subsoil, undrained pulling sphere tests were carried out and the train loads were simulated through localized and cyclic vibration at various frequencies. Laboratory testing results indicate that the fl ow characteristics of soft soil can be signifi cantly enhanced by high-frequency vibration;meanwhile the continuous increase in fl ow characteristics caused by cyclic vibration may be an important reason for the long-term settlement of soft subsoil. The infl uence of sand content on fl ow characteristics is also studied in detail, and it is shown that the addition of coarse sand can weaken the fl ow characteristics of soft soil induced by sudden vibration at lower than 50 Hz. Under the condition of cyclic vibration, the growth of the fl ow characteristics of sand-clay mixtures is mainly caused by the fi rst-time vibration in the cycle, and the increase in sand content can make the fl ow characteristics present a faster convergent tendency.

One-dimensional consolidation of double-layered soil with non-Darcian flow described by exponent and threshold gradient

Based on non-Darcian flow law described by exponent and threshold gradient within a double-layered soil, the classic theory of one-dimensional consolidation of double-layered soil was modified to consider the change of vertical total stress with depth and time together. Because of the complexity of governing equations, the numerical solutions were obtained in detail by finite difference method. Then, the numerical solutions were compared with the analytical solutions in condition that non-Darcian flow law was degenerated to Dary's law, and the comparison results show that numerical solutions are reliable. Finally, consolidation behavior of double-layered soil with different parameters was analyzed, and the results show that the consolidation rate of double-layered soil decreases with increasing the value of exponent and threshold of non-Darcian flow, and the exponent and threshold gradient of the first soil layer greatly influence the consolidation rate of double-layered soil. The larger the ratio of the equivalent water head of external load to the total thickness of double-layered soil, the larger the rate of the consolidation, and the similitude relationship in classical consolidation theory of double-layered soil is not satisfied. The other consolidation behavior of double-layered soil with non-Darcian flow is the same as that with Darcy's law.

Combined Effect of Infiltration, Capillary Barrier and Sloping Layered Soil on Flow and Solute Transfer in a Heterogeneous Lysimeter

This aim of this paper is to describe a study of the combined effect of infiltration, capillary barrier and sloping layered soil on both flow and solute transport processes in a large, physical model (1 × 1 × 1.6 m3) called LUGH (Lysimeter for Urban Groundwater Hydrology) and a 3D numerical flow model. Sand and a soil composed of a bimodal sand-gravel mixture were placed in the lysimeter to simulate one of the basic structural and textural elements of the heterogeneity observed in the vadose zone under an infiltration basin of Lyon (France). Water and an inert tracer (KBr) were injected from the top of the lysimeter using a specific water sprinkler system and collected at 15 different outlets at the bottom. The outlet flows and the 15 breakthrough curves obtained presented high heterogeneity, emphasising the establishment of preferential flows resulting from both capillary barrier and soil layer dip effects. Numerical modelling led to better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for these heterogeneous transfers and it was also used to perform a sensitivity analysis of the effects of water velocity (water and solute flux fed by the sprinkler) and the slope interface. The results show that decreasing velocity and increasing the slope of the interface can lead to the development of preferential flows. In addition, the offset of the centre of gravity of the flow distribution at the output increases linearly as a function of the slope angle of the layered soil. This paper provides relevant information on the coupling between hydrodynamic processes and pollutant transfer in unsaturated heterogeneous soil and emphasizes the role of the geometry of the interfaces between materials and boundary conditions as key factors for preferential flow.

Relations among Sap Flow, Soil Moisture, Weather, and Soybean Plant Parameters in High Water Demand and Final Growth Stages

The dynamics of sap flow in relation to plant morphology and weather conditions during reproductive growth of soybean (Glycine max. L. Merr.) influence decisions pertaining to efficient irrigation management and other inputs for high yields. Field studies began in 2017 at Marianna, Arkansas to measure moisture dynamics of soybeans during seed fill (R5 to R7) using heat balance stem flow gauges. Sap flow was highly correlated to solar radiation with maximum rates observed during beginning seed fill (R5). A solar radiation efficiency (SRE) value, calculated as hourly sap flow rate per Watt-hour of solar radiation (g/Wh2), is proposed. The SRE relates to crop water demand and hydraulic resistance of the soil-root-stem-leaf-pod-seed pathway. SRE values ranged from 0 - 1.2 g/Wh2. Soil moisture, growth stage, time of day, and weather conditions influenced the SRE, with higher values observed in the morning, late afternoon, and during R5 growth. Peak sap flows of 39 g/h at R5, 25 g/h at R6, and 3 g/h at R7 occurred. The ratio of measured sap flow to estimated crop evapotranspiration was 0.9 to 1.3 during R5 to R6.9 (maximum dry matter), but dropped to 0.2 at R7. Further research is needed to better understand late season reproductive moisture dynamics in soybeans.

Effects of sediment load on the abrasion of soil aggregate and hydraulic parameters in experimental overland flow

The breakdown of soil aggregates under rainfall and their abrasion in overland flow are important processes in water erosion due to the production of more fine and transportable particles and,the subsequent significant effect on the erosion intensity.Currently,little is known about the effects of sediment load on the soil aggregate abrasion and the relationship of this abrasion with some related hydraulic parameters.Here,the potential effects of sediment load on soil aggregate abrasion and hydraulic parameters in overland flow were investigated through a series of experiments in a 3.8-m-long hydraulic flume at the slope gradients of 8.7 and 26.8%,unit flow discharges from 2×10^-3 to 6×10^-3 m^2 s^-1,and the sediment concentration from 0 to 110 kg m-3.All the aggregates from Ultisols developed Quaternary red clay,Central China.The results indicated that discharge had the most significant(P<0.01)effect on the aggregates abrasion with the contributions of 58.76 and 60.34%,followed by sediment feed rate,with contributions of 39.66 and 34.12%at the slope gradients of 8.7 and 26.8%,respectively.The abrasion degree of aggregates was found to increase as a power function of the sediment concentration.Meanwhile,the flow depth,friction factor,and shear stress increased as a power function along with the increase of sediment concentration at different slope gradients and discharges.Reynolds number was obviously affected by sediment concentration and it decreased as sediment concentration increased.The ratio of the residual weight to the initial weight of soil aggregates(Wr/Wi)was found to increase as the linear function with an increasing flow depth(P=0.008)or Reynolds number(P=0.002)in the sediment-laden flow.The Wr/Wi values followed a power function decrease with increasing friction factor or shear stress in the sediment-laden flow,indicating that friction factor is the best hydraulic parameter for prediction of soil aggregate abrasion under different sediment load conditions.The information regarding the soil aggregate abrasion under various sediment load conditions can facilitate soil process-based erosion modeling.

An Efficient Multiple-Dimensional Finite Element Solution for Water Flow in Variably Saturated Soils

Multiple-dimensional water flow in variably saturated soils plays an important role in ecological systems such as irrigation and water uptake by plant roots; its quantitative description is usually based on the Richards＇ equation. Because of the nonlinearity of the Richards＇ equation and the complexity of natural soils, most practical simulations rely on numerical solutions with the nonlinearity solved by iterations. The commonly used iterations for solving the nonlinearity are Picard and Newton methods with the former converging at first-order rate and the later at second-order rate. A recent theoretical analysis by the authors, however, revealed that for solving the diffusive flow, the classical Picard method is actually a chord-Newton method, converging at a rate faster than first order; its linear convergence rate is due to the treatment of the gravity term. To improve computational efficiency, a similar chord-Newton method as for solving the diffusive term was proposed to solve the gravity term. Testing examples for one-dimensional flow showed significant improvement. The core of this method is to produce a diagonally dominant matrix in the linear system so as to improve the iteration-toiteration stability and hence the convergence. In this paper, we develop a similar method for multiple-dimensional flow and compare its performance with the classical Picard and Newton methods for water flow in soils characterised by a wide range of van Genuchten parameters.

Soil Evolution Features of Debris Flow Waste-Shoal Land

The reclamation and utilization of debris flow waste-shoal land plays an important role in the mitigation and control of debris flow hazards, which thus contributes a lot to the exploitation of insufficient land resources in mountainous areas and the reduction of losses caused by debris flow. The aim of this paper is to discuss the features and mechanism of soil evolution of debris flow waste-shoal land so as to search for the available modes of its reclamation and utilization. The Jiangjiagou Ravine, a typical debris flow ravine, was selected to study soil evolution features of debris flow waste-shoal land based on the analysis of soil physicochemical properties and soil microstructure. It was found that the soil evolution rates of debris flow waste-shoal land varied with different modes of reclamation. For the land which had been reclaimed for less than 10 years, soil evolved most rapidly in paddy fields, and more rapidly in dry farmland than in naturally restored waste-shoal land. For the land which had been used for more than 10 years, the soil evolution rates of dry farmland, naturally restored waste-shoal land and paddy farmland decreased in the file. For the same utilization period of time, significant differences were recognized in soil evolution features under different modes of reclamation. Analysis data showed that soil clay content, soil thickness, the psephicity of skeleton particles and contents of microaggregates (<0.02 mm) in paddy farmland were all highest. Soil nutrients and porosity of dry farmland were better than those of paddy farmland and naturally restored waste-shoal land, and those of paddy farmland were superior to those of naturally restored waste-shoal land. Paddy farmland characterized by rapid pedogenesis, stable evolution and high utilizability was the priority candidate for the reclamation and utilization of debris flow waste-shoal land.

薄层水流冲刷条件下斜坡土体的临界起动

斜坡土体侵蚀是丘陵地区和水库岸坡普遍存在的灾害现象,其主要动力因素是降雨或者波浪上爬产生的薄层水流对土体产生的冲刷剪切作用。为探索水流冲刷作用下的斜坡土体临界起动条件,采用自主研发的冲刷起动试验装置,开展斜坡土体的冲刷起动试验和理论研究。通过颗粒染色和高倍数电子显微等技术手段观测无黏性土颗粒的起动现象,确定了无黏性岸坡土体的起动模式与水流流速的相互关系;探索了不同干密度、不同黏粒含量及不同坡度与黏土斜坡临界起动流速的相互关系,土体的黏粒含量、干密度及坡度对黏性土体的起动流速影响较大,与干密度和土体坡度相比,黏粒含量对黏土斜坡的起动流速影响更为明显。验证了无黏性岸坡土体的临界起动方程,其中滚动起动流速方程具有较强的可靠性;基于黏土的起动模式构建了黏土斜坡的起动力学平衡方程,获得了黏土斜坡半经验半理论的起动流速方程,用试验结果求解了起动流速方程的相关参数,最终确定的起动流速公式与试验结果拟合度较好,同时验证了起动流速公式的可靠性。

连续流动-钼酸铵分光光度法测定土壤全磷

利用硫酸-高氯酸湿法消解土壤,采用连续流动分析仪直接测定消解液磷酸根含量,建立了高通量测定土壤全磷的实验方法。方法检测限6.0 mg·kg^(-1),土壤样品的加标回收率为85%~100%。将该方法用于土壤标准物质(GBW07405、GBW07406a)全磷含量测定,结果准确,相对标准偏差(RSD)分别为3.5%、4.5%(n=3)。方法具备无需调节待测液pH值、分析速度快、消耗试剂少、结果准确可靠等优点,适用于大批量土壤全磷的测定分析。

蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法测定土壤有机碳含量的方法

为了准确高效批量测定土壤有机碳含量,采用比色管代替消煮管,蒸汽加热消煮土壤,利用流动分析仪法测定有机碳。并将此方法与重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法(常规通用)进行了比较,探讨方法的可行性。结果表明,蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法测定土壤有机碳含量重复性试验的相对标准偏差为3.19%~9.41%,回收率为92.21%~97.63%。方法精密度及准确性良好。所测结果与重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法无显著性差异(P>0.05),两种方法拟合的回归方程:y(蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法)=0.947x(重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法)+1.621(r^(2)=0.933),两者呈良好的相关性。用两种方法测定200个土壤有机碳,蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法的检测用时是重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法用时的68%,人工操作用时是重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法用时的44%,蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法无需使用硫酸亚铁,重铬酸钾、硫酸和水用量为重铬酸钾氧化-外加热法的40%。蒸汽浴-流动分析仪法省工省时,人员工作强度低,试剂用量少,环境危害降低,检测准确高效,经济安全,可推荐为大批量土壤有机碳含量测定的方法。

考虑非达西渗流的泥浆离心脱水分析

为深入探究离心脱水技术在处理主要由黏性土组成的建筑废弃泥浆时的内在机理及其影响因素,利用分段线性化方法,充分考虑黏性土中渗流的非达西特性以及土体变形的非线性特征,建立在离心作用下能够考虑其非达西渗流特性的泥浆脱水分析模型。通过与已有研究成果及室内试验结果的对比,证明了该模型的有效性。在此基础上,分析了模型参数对脱水过程的影响。研究结果表明:脱水速度和最终土水界面位移量随着电机转速的增大而增大;增加泥浆初始厚度会增大最终土水界面位移量,但会降低初期的土水界面移动速度;压缩指数在初期对土水界面位移的影响并不明显,但其增大会导致最终土水界面位移量的增加;非达西渗流参数的增大会导致土水界面位移的减少,但通过提升电机转速,可以有效地降低非达西渗流对脱水效果的不利影响。研究成果可为离心脱水技术在建筑废弃泥浆处理中的进一步优化与应用提供借鉴和参考。

排渗失效下尾矿库溃坝三维模型试验研究

针对尾矿库渗透破坏模式,为克服二维试验槽边壁效应对模型渗流走向及溃决位置的影响,本文以某尾矿库为原型,基于自主设计的三维尾矿库溃坝模型试验平台,进行了排渗设施失效诱发的尾矿库溃坝模型试验研究,揭示了该尾矿库的溃决模式及溃决机理。结果表明:(1)排渗失效导致的溃坝呈现局部流土破坏-坝体累计变形-深层滑动面发展贯通-整体突发失稳的渐进伴突发型溃决演化模式;(2)坝体孔隙水压力骤变是坝体发生滑动破坏的关键响应指标,预示着坝体将在短时间内由滑动体前后缘局部散浸软化、流土、塌陷转变为大范围溃决,可作为坝体溃决事故的前兆信息;(3)排渗失效导致的尾矿库溃坝过程具有渐进性和突发性的特点,发生散浸与流土破坏的过程时间较长,发生深层滑动和溃决的时间短暂,该特征可为尾矿库渗透破坏隐患治理及坝体溃决应急响应提供参考。研究结果对尾矿库溃坝的灾害预防具有重要的现实意义。