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A long flume study of the dynamic factors affecting the resistance of a loamy soil to concentrated flow erosion
Author(s) -
Govers G.,
Everaert W.,
Poesen J.,
Rauws G.,
De Ploey J.,
Lautridou J. P.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.3290150403
Subject(s) - surface runoff , loam , flume , environmental science , water content , soil water , infiltration (hvac) , compaction , antecedent moisture , erosion , soil science , moisture , hydrology (agriculture) , geotechnical engineering , geology , flow (mathematics) , materials science , runoff curve number , geomorphology , ecology , geometry , mathematics , biology , composite material
Experiments were carried out in a 20 m long flume to assess the variation of the runoff erosion resistance of a loamy soil as a function of initial moisture content and compaction. The results of seven experimental runs show that the runoff erosion resistance of a loamy material is extremely sensitive to variations in initial moisture content and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in bulk density. The very low resistance to runoff erosion of initially dry material is explained by structural changes which take place at the time of wetting: slaking and microfissuration cause a considerable decrease of the soil's shear strength and therefore of its resistance to runoff erosion. A first analysis shows that, during a given rainfall event, initially dry soils may well show significantly more erosion than initially wet soils, despite the increase of infiltration with decreasing initial moisture content.