Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sediment load change with erosion processes under simulated rainfall events

  • Published:
Journal of Geographical Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

It is of great significance to quantify sediment load changing with erosion processes for improving the precision of soil loss prediction. Indoor rainfall experiments were conducted in 2 rainfall intensities (90 mm·h−1 and 120 mm·h−1), four slope gradients (17.60%, 26.80%, 36.40%, 46.60%) and 2 slope lengths (5 m, 10 m). Erosion processes are divided into five stages. Results show that sediment yield is mainly sourced from rill erosion, contributing from 54.60% to 95.70% and the duration of which is extended by slope gradients. Sediment load and sediment concentration are significantly different along erosion stages, with the highest values in rill development stage (SIV). Surface flow velocities (interrill and rill) demonstrate less significant differences along erosion stages. Rainfall intensity increases sediment load in all stages, with up to 12.0 times higher when changing from 90 to 120 mm·h−1. There is an increasing trend for sediment load and sediment concentration with the rising slope gradient, however, fluctuations existed with the lowest values on 26.80% and 36.40%, respectively, among different treatments. The slope gradient effects are enhanced by rainfall intensity and slope length. Results from this study are important for validating and improving hillslope erosion modelling at each erosion stage.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abderrezzak K E K, Moran A D, Mosselman E et al., 2014. A physical, movable-bed model for non-uniform sediment transport, fluvial erosion and bank failure in rivers. Journal of Hydro-environment Research, 8: 95–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Assouline S, Ben-Hur M, 2006. Effects of rainfall intensity and slope gradient on the dynamics of interrill erosion during soil surface sealing. Catena, 66: 211–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Auerswald K, Fiener P, Dikau R, 2009. Rates of sheet and rill erosion in Germany: A meta-analysis. Geomorphology, 111: 182–193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett S J, 1999. Effect of slope on the growth and migration of headcuts in rills. Geomorphology, 30: 273–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berger C, Schulze M, Rieke-Zapp D et al., 2010. Rill development and soil erosion: A laboratory study of slope and rainfall intensity. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35: 1456–1467.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beuselinck L, Govers G, Hairsine P et al., 2002. The influence of rainfall on sediment transport by overland flow over areas of net deposition. Journal of Hydrology, 257: 145–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brodie I, Rosewell C, 2007. Theoretical relationships between rainfall intensity and kinetic energy variants associated with stormwater particle washoff. Journal of Hydrology, 340(1/2): 40–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruno C, Di Stefano C, Ferro V, 2008. Field investigation on rilling in the experimental Sparacia area, South Italy. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 33: 263–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan R B, 1990. Knickpoint evolution in rill wash. Catena, 17(Suppl.): 111–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan R B, 2000. Soil erodibility and processes of water erosion on hillslope. Geomorphology, 32(3/4): 385–415.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryan R B, Poesen J, 1989. Laboratory experiments on the influence of slope length on runoff, percolation, and rill development, Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 14: 211–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cai Q G, 1998. Research of rill initiation condition on loess hillslopes. Journal of Sediment Research, (1): 52–59. (in Chinese)

  • Ellison W D, 1947. Soil erosion studies: Part I. Agricultural Engineering, 28: 145–146.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fang H Y, Sun L Y, Tang Z H, 2014. Effects of rainfall and slope on runoff, soil erosion and rill development: An experimental study using two loess soils. Hydrological Processes, 29(11): 2649–2658.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster G R, Huggins L F, Meyer L D, 1984. A laboratory study of rill hydraulics: 1. Velocity relationships. Transactions of the ASAE, 27(3): 790–796.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fox D M, Bryan R B, 2000. The relationship of soil loss by interrill erosion to slope gradient. Catena, 38: 211–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garzon-Garcia A, Bunn S E, Olley J M et al., 2018. Labile carbon limits in-stream mineralization in a subtropical headwater catchment affected by gully and channel erosion. Journal of Soils and Sediments, 18: 648–659.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govers G, Gimenez R, Van Oost K, 2007. Rill erosion: Exploring the relationship between experiments, modeling and field observations. Earth-Science Reviews, 84: 87–102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govers G, 1991. Time dependency of runoff velocity and erosion: The effect of the initial soil moisture profile. Earth Surface Process and Landforms, 16(8): 713–729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Govers G, 1992. Relationship between discharge, velocity and flow area for rills eroding loose, non-layered materials. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 17: 515–528.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He J J, Li X J, Jia L J et al., 2014. Experimental study of rill evolution processes and relationships between runoff and erosion on clay loam and loess. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 78: 1716–1725.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He J J, Sun L Y, Gong H L et al., 2016. The characteristics of rill development and their effects on runoff and sediment yield under different slope gradients. Journal of Mountain Science, 13(3): 397–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang C, Bradford J, 1993. Analyses of slope and runoff factors based on the WEPP erosion model. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 57: 1176–1183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim K H, Miller W P, 1996. Effect of rainfall electrolyte concentration and slope infiltration and erosion. Soil Technology, 9: 173–185.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnell P I A, 2000. The effect of slope length on sediment concentrations associated with side-slope erosion. Soil Science Society and American Journal, 64: 1004–1008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kinnell P I A, 2005. Raindrop-impact-induced erosion processes and prediction: A review. Hydrological Processes, 19: 2815–2844.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei T W, Zhang Q W, Yan L J et al., 2008. A rational method for estimating erodibility and critical shear stress of an eroding rill. Geoderma, 144: 628–633.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei T W, Zhang Q W, Zhao J et al., 2002. Soil detachment rates for sediment loaded flow in rills. Transactions of the ASAE, 45(6): 1897–1903.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li M, Li Z B, Ding W F et al., 2006. Using rare earth element tracers and neutron activation analysis to study rill erosion process. Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 64: 402–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li P F, Mu X M, Holden J et al., 2017. Comparison of soil erosion models used to study the Chinese Loess Plateau. Earth-Science Reviews, 170: 17–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z W, Nie X D, He J J et al., 2017. Zonal characteristics of sediment-bound organic carbon loss during water erosion: A case study of four typical loess soils in Shaanxi Province. Catena, 156: 393–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B Y, Nearing M A, Rise L M, 1994. Slope gradient effects on soil loss for steep slopes. Transactions of the ASAE, 37(6): 1835–1840.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu J, Zheng F L, Li G F et al., 2016. The effects of raindrop impact and runoff detachment on hillslope soil erosion and soil aggregate loss in the Mollisol region of Northeast China. Soil & Tillage Research, 161: 79–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu P, Xie X L, Wang L H et al., 2017. Effects of different spatial distributions of physical soil crusts on runoff and erosion on the Loess Plateau in China. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 42: 2082–2089.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma B, Ma F, Li Z B et al., 2014. Effects of soil crust and crop on runoff and erosion in Loess Plateau. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section B-Soil and Plant Science, 64(8): 645–656.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martinez-Mena M, Castillo V, Albaladejo J, 2002. Relations between interrill erosion processes and sediment particle size distribution in a semiarid Mediterranean area of SE of Spain. Geomorphology, 45: 261–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCool D K, Brown L C, Foster G R et al., 1987. Revised slope steepness factor for the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Transactions of the ASAE, 30(5): 1387–1396.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt E, 1984. The identification of four stages during micro-rill development. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 19: 493–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merz B, Bryan R B, 1993. Critical conditions for rill initiation on sandy loam Brunisols: Laboratory and field experiments in southern Ontario, Canada. Geoderma, 57: 357–385.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer L, Harmon W, 1989. How row-sideslope length and steepness affect sideslope erosion. Transctions of the ASAE, 32: 639–644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moss A J, 1988. The effects of flow—velocity variations on rain-driven transportation and the role of rain impact in the movement of solids. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 26(3): 443–450.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moss A J, Green P, 1983. Movement of solids in air and water by raindrop impact: Effects of drop-size and water-depth variations. Australian Journal of Soil Research, 21: 257–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mutchler C K, Larson C L, 1971. Splash amounts from waterdrop impact on a smooth surface. Water Resources Research. 7: 195–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nearing M A, Foster G R, Lane L J et al., 1989. Process-based soil erosion model for USDA-water erosion prediction project technology. Transactions of the ASAE, 32(5): 1587–1593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nearing M A, Yin S Q, Borrelli P et al., 2017. Rainfall erosivity: An historical review. Catena, 157: 357–362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polyakov V O, Nearing M A, 2003. Sediment transport in rill flow under deposition and detachment conditions. Catena, 51: 33–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romero C C, Stroosnijder L, Baigorria G A, 2007. Interrill and rill erodibility in the northern Andean Highlands. Catena, 70: 105–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rose C W, Williams J R, Sander G C et al., 1983. A mathematical model of soil erosion and deposition processes. 1. Theory for a plane land element. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 47: 991–995.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shainberg I, Warrington D, Laflen J M, 1992. Soil dispersibility, rain properties and slope interaction in rill formation and erosion. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 56: 278–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen H O, Zheng F L, Wen L L et al., 2015. An experimental study of rill erosion and morphology. Geomorphology, 231: 193–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen H O, Zheng F L, Wen L L et al., 2016. Impacts of rainfall intensity and slope gradient on rill erosion processes at loessial hillslope. Soil & Tillage Research, 155: 429–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheng H W, Sun L Y, Cai Q G, 2017. Impact of rill morphology on hillslope erosion for loess soils. Journal of Basic Science and Engineering, 25(4): 679–688. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi Z H, Fang N F, Wu F Z et al., 2012. Soil erosion processes and sediment sorting associated with transport mechanisms on steep slopes. Journal of Hydrology, 454: 123–130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slattery M C, Bryan R B, 1992. Hydraulic conditions for rill incision under simulated rainfall: A laboratory experiment. Earth Surface Processes and Land Forms, 17: 127–146.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Slimane A B, Raclot D, Evrard O et al., 2016. Relative contribution of rill/interrill and gully/channel erosion to small reservoir siltation in Mediterranean environments. Land Degradation & Development, 27: 785–797.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Song J X, Zhang G T, Wang W Z et al., 2017. Variability in the vertical hyporheic water exchange affected by hydraulic conductivity and river morphology at a natural confluent meander bend. Hydrological Processes, 31: 3407–3420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun L Y, Fang H Y, Qi D L et al., 2013. A review on rill erosion process and its influencing factors. Chinese Geographical Science, 23(4): 389–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torri D, Poesen J, Borselli L et al., 2012. Spatial variation of bed roughness in eroding rills and gullies. Catena, 90: 76–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Torri D, Sfalanga M, Chisci G M, 1987. Threshold conditions for incipient rilling. In: Bryan R B (ed.). Rill Erosion. Catena (Suppl.), 8: 97–105.

  • Wang G P, 1998. Summary of rill erosion study. Soil and Water Conservation in China, (8): 23–26. (in Chinese)

  • Wang L, Shi Z H, 2015. Size selectivity of eroded sediment associated with soil texture on steep slopes. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 79: 917–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L, Shi Z H, Wang J et al., 2014b. Rainfall kinetic energy controlling erosion processes and sediment. Journal of Hydrology, 512: 168–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L H, Dalabay N, Lu P et al., 2017. Effects of tillage practices and slope on runoff and erosion of soil from the Loess Plateau, China, subjected to simulated rainfall. Soil & Tillage Research, 166: 147–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang L S, Cai Q G, Cai C F et al., 2013. Study of hydrodynamic characteristics of rill and inter-rill flows on loess slopes. Journal of Sediment Research, 6: 45–52. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang L S, Cai Q G, Cai C F et al., 2014a. Hydrodynamic characteristics of stable growth-rill flow on loess slopes. Progress in Geography, 33(8): 1117–1124. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang X Y, Zheng F L, 2008. Effects of slope length on detachment and transport processes on a loessial hillslope. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation, 28: 1–4. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen L L, Zheng F L, Shen H O et al., 2015. Rainfall intensity and inflow rate effects on hillslope soil erosion in the Mollisol region of Northeast China. Natural Hazards, 79: 381–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wirtz S, Seeger M, Ries J B, 2012. Field experiments for understanding and quantification of rill erosion processes. Catena, 91: 21–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Wang Z L, Zhang Q W et al., 2017. Modelling sheet erosion on steep slopes in the loess region of China. Journal of Hydrology, 553: 549–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu B, Wang Z L, Zhang Q W et al., 2018. Distinguishing transport-limited and detachment-limited processes of interrill erosion on steep slopes in the Chinese loessial region. Soil & Tillage Research, 177: 88–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Q J, Wang L H, Wu F Q, 2016. Effects of structural and depositional crusts on soil erosion on the Loess Plateau of China. Arid Land Research and Management, 30: 432–444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan L J, Yu X X, Lei T W et al., 2008. Effects of transport capacity and erodibility on rill erosion processes: A model study using the Finite Element method. Geoderma, 146: 114–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang M Y, Walling D E, Tian J L et al., 2006. Partitioning the contributions of sheet and rill erosion using Berllium-7 and Cesium-137. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 70(5): 1579–1590.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang G H, Shen R C, Luo R T et al., 2010. Effects of sediment load on hydraulics of overland flow on steep slopes. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35: 1811–1819.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X, Li Z B, Li P et al., 2018. Influences of sand cover on erosion processes of loess slopes based on rainfall simulation experiments. Journal of Arid Land, 10(1): 39–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang X C, Wang Z L, 2017. Interrill soil erosion processes on steep slopes. Journal of Hydrology, 548: 652–664.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao L S, Huang C H, Wu F Q, 2016. Effect of microrelief on water erosion and their changes during rainfall. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 41: 579–586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao X N, Huang J, Gao X D et al., 2014. Runoff features of pasture and crop slopes at different rainfall intensities, antecedent moisture contents and gradients on the Chinese Loess Plateau: A solution of rainfall simulation experiments. Catena, 119: 90–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng F L, Gao X T, 2004. Up-slope runoff and sediment and down-slope transport-deposition processes. Acta Pedologica Sinica, 41: 134–139. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng Z C, He S Q, Wu F Q, 2014. Changes of soil surface roughness under water erosion process. Hydrological Processes, 28: 3919–3929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou P H, Wang Z L, 1987. Soil erosion storm rainfall standard in the Loess Plateau. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation, 7: 38–44. (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS&MWR, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Liying Sun

  2. Key Laboratory of Water Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beijing, 100101, China

    Liying Sun, Haiyan Fang, Qiangguo Cai & Xunming Wang

  3. New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box 644, Parramatta, NSW, 2124, Australia

    Xihua Yang

  4. Base of the State Laboratory of Urban Environmental Processes and Digital Modeling, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China

    Jijun He

  5. School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, 15 Broadway, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia

    John L. Zhou

  6. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Qiangguo Cai

Authors
  1. Liying Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haiyan Fang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Qiangguo Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xihua Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jijun He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. John L. Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xunming Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Liying Sun.

Additional information

Foundation: National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.41471229; The Open Project Fund from the State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on Loess Plateau, No. A314021402-1601; National Key Research and Development Program of China, No.2016YFA0601900

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sun, L., Fang, H., Cai, Q. et al. Sediment load change with erosion processes under simulated rainfall events. J. Geogr. Sci. 29, 1001–1020 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1641-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-019-1641-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation