Gravity erosion and lithology in Pisha sandstone in southern Inner Mongolia

Pisha sandstone is a soft rock found in the southern zone of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia. The presence of soft Pisha sandstone in the middle reaches of the Yellow River coincides with large areas of bedrock erosion in the river’s basin, with the average total erosion modulus as high as 44 570 t/(km^2·a). Such high levels of erosion are one of the main sources of coarse mud and sands in the Yellow River. Erosion by gravitational forces such as snow glide and landslip are the main erosion types in Pisha sandstone region. The gravity erosion modulus can be as high as 25 615 t/(km^2·a), accounting for 30.6% of the total average erosion. Our paper investigates the characteristics of Pisha sandstone in relation to the development of gravity erosion mechanisms. We conducted field investigations in Pisha sandstone region for original state rock sampling. Test results from analyses of the rock properties indicate that the mineral composition, structure and microstructure characteristics of Pisha sandstone determine its varying capacity to resist weathering. Degrees of weathering in slightly different lithological layers of Pisha sandstone lead to different erosion rates. In this way, erosion forces combined with the varying lithological strata in the rock aggravate gravitational erosion in Pisha sandstone.

Review and prospect of soil compound erosion

Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental issues constraining the sustainable development of human society and economies.Soil compound erosion is the result of the alternation or interaction between two or more erosion forces.In recent years,fluctuations and extreme changes in climatic factors(air temperature,precipitation,wind speed,etc.)have led to an increase in the intensity and extent of compound erosion,which is increasingly considered in soil erosion research.First,depending on the involvement of gravity,compound erosion process can be divided into compound erosion with and without gravity.We systematically summarized the research on the mechanisms and processes of alternating or interacting soil erosion forces(wind,water,and freeze-thaw)considering different combinations,combed the characteristics of compound erosion in three typical regions,namely,high-elevation areas,high-latitude areas,and dry and wet transition regions,and reviewed soil compound erosion research methods,such as station observations,simulation experiments,prediction models,and artificial neural networks.The soil erosion model of wind,water,and freeze-thaw interaction is the most significant method for quantifying and predicting compound erosion.Furthermore,it is proposed that there are several issues such as unclear internal mechanisms,lack of comprehensive prediction models,and insufficient scale conversion methods in soil compound erosion research.It is also suggested that future soil compound erosion mechanism research should prioritize the coupling of compound erosion forces and climate change.