Quantitative Analysis of Temporal and Spatial Variations of Soil Salinization and Groundwater Depth along the Yellow River Saline–Alkali Land

Hongfang Li, Jian Wang, Hu Liu, Zhanmin Wei and Henglu Miao
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Hongfang Li: Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Jian Wang: Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Hu Liu: Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China
Zhanmin Wei: College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010018, China
Henglu Miao: Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-Hydrology National Observation and Research Station, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing 100038, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-13

Abstract: To study the spatial distribution of soil salinization, the temporal and spatial variations of groundwater depth, along the Yellow River saline–alkali land, were analyzed. GIS technology was used to conduct spatial interpolation and quantitative analysis in Shahao, including salinization data obtained before summer irrigation, and groundwater depth data for one hydrological year from long-term observation wells. The results indicate that the groundwater depth gradually shallows from south to north, consistent with the topography of the area, and soil salinization is greater in the central and northern parts of the study area. Alkaline soils are widespread in the surface-to-middle soil, accounting for 55.2–62.5% of the total land area. A total of 28.6% of the surface layer is heavily salinized. The crop emergence rate of heavily salinized cropland is only 30–50%. The high salt content of the Yellow River itself, freeze–thaw change and poor drainage are three important factors causing the high soil salinity along the Yellow River saline–alkali land. The changes of groundwater depth are divided into autumn irrigation, the freezing period and the crop-growth period. The return of soil salt in spring caused by autumn irrigation mainly affects the uppermost soil layer (0–100 mm depth).

Keywords: soil salinization; groundwater depth; quantitative analysis; inverse distance weighting; Yellow River saline–alkali land (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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