The Response Mechanisms of Topographic Changes in Small Loess Watershed under Rainstorm

Zhihong Yao, Jianchen Yang, Pan Zhang (), Yu Zhang, Liwei Liu and Dongbao Zhao
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Zhihong Yao: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Jianchen Yang: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Pan Zhang: Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation on Loess Plateau, Ministry of Water Resources, Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, Zhengzhou 450003, China
Yu Zhang: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Liwei Liu: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China
Dongbao Zhao: College of Surveying and Geo-Informatics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 17, 1-12

Abstract: This paper uses a small watershed entity model to simulate the rainfall experiment and combines traditional water and sediment observation and terrain three-dimensional laser scanning technology to reveal the characteristics of erosion and sediment yield in small watersheds and the law of channel sediment transport and quantitatively describe the response mechanism of terrain changes in small watersheds to the layout of silt dams and rainfall intensity. Rainfall intensity with three types (30, 60, and 120 mm/h) under three soil conservation measure types (none dam, single dam, and double dams) was simulated, and a small watershed entity model was adopted. The changes in topography were recorded by a Focus 3D laser scanner (Faro) for each experiment. The main results were as follows: (1) Soil erosion under the effect of rainfall occurs on the slope of the watershed and in the gully, while deposition usually occurs on the gentle slope of the gully or in low-lying areas. (2) When the runoff volume is small, deposition occurs easily in the gully, and vice versa. (3) The increase in the number of silt dams deployed has a small effect on the rate of runoff yield on the small watershed, but the limitation on the rate of sand production is especially obvious. Silt dam measures have a good flood and sand reduction effect on small- and medium-intensity rain, but for high-intensity rain, their runoff and sand reduction effect will be reduced, so rainfall is the dominant factor in the formation of soil erosion. Our results provide the scientific basis for identifying key parts of soil erosion and for the rational arrangement of soil and water conservation measures in loess areas.

Keywords: rainstorm; spatial distribution of erosion–deposition; 3D terrain scanning; artificially simulated rainfall; small watershed topographic changes (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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