Intrinsic Mechanisms of Differences in Wetting-Induced Deformation of Soils on Chinese Loess Plateau: Insights into Land Stability and Sustainable Management

Qiqi Liu, Wanli Xie (), Hui Yang, Kangze Yuan, Siyu Zhang, Xinyu Li, Pengxin Qu, Zhiyi Wu, Jiahao Zhou and Xuanyu Gao
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Qiqi Liu: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Wanli Xie: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Hui Yang: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Kangze Yuan: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Siyu Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Xinyu Li: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Pengxin Qu: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Zhiyi Wu: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Jiahao Zhou: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
Xuanyu Gao: State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: Wetting-induced soil deformation significantly impacts land stability and management on the Chinese Loess Plateau. This study analyzed silt soils from the Late Pleistocene (1 m depth) and Middle Pleistocene (25 m depth) to investigate compression and collapsible deformation during wetting. The compression in both soils progressed through three stages: slow deformation under low pressure, accelerated deformation under moderate pressure, and decelerated deformation under high pressure. Wetting intensified the compression in the 1 m sample but reduced it in the 25 m sample, with the deformation becoming more sensitive to the initial water content under higher pressures. Collapse tests showed contrasting behaviors: the 1 m sample exhibited collapsibility, while the 25 m sample displayed expansiveness (a negative collapsibility coefficient). Microstructural analysis revealed that the 1 m sample with abundant macropores and overhead structures had a lower structural stability than the 25 sample with more stable, rounded micropores. The wetting-induced deformation was governed by the balance between clay mineral expansion and structural collapse, with collapsibility prevailing when collapse dominated and expansiveness prevailing when expansion was predominant. These findings provide valuable insights into soil–water interactions and support improved land use and management strategies in the loess region.

Keywords: soil–water relationship; wetting-induced deformation; scanning electron microscope; land stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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