No description available.

No description available.

This research examines the use of remote sensing techniques to quantify rill erosion in two agricultural fields in the Lower Fraser Valley. Soil erosion during the winter is particularly problematic in some of the sloping soils developed from loess over glacio-marine parent materials. New techniques are needed to quantify rill erosion on a timely basis, and this research focuses on measuring the extent and rate of rill erosion from field and aerial photograph measurements. A model which used rill measurements as input, was used to determine the rill plan areas, rill volumes, and thus rill erosion rates in the test area. Using field rillometer measurements of rills as input into the model resulted in a soil loss estimate of 49m³ /ha/yr or 38.4 t/ha/yr for the test site. This soil loss estimate is deemed to be more reliable than erosion plot and Universal Soil Loss Equation estimates of soil loss for the test area. The rill volume and plan area of three main rills, using three different rill measurement methods for input into the model, were compared. Using field measuring tape measurements of rills as input into the model, resulted in a soil loss estimate which was 16 % greater than the estimate from rillometer measurements. Using photo rill width measurements and an estimation of rill depths and bottom widths from field data as model input, resulted in a soil loss estimate which was 22 % less than the estimate from rillometer measurements. Spectral reflection measurements made in rill, interrill and depositional areas were found to be significantly different, confirming that rill erosion could be assessed in a quantitative manner using digital image analysis techniques. The spectral separation was largely due to differences in organic matter, surface roughness and imaging geometry. The latter is of particular importance in creating darker shadowed rill sides opposite bright sun-facing rill sides within a single rill. A maximum likelihood classifier, used as part of the computer based image analysis, determined the rill plan area for a sample area to be 9 % less than the rill plan area obtained from the model using rillometer input. This indicates the potential of digital analysis to quickly determine the plan area of larger rills. Digital elevation and moisture content data confirmed that the topographic shape of the field is important in determining the spatial pattern of rill formation. The combination of such data with image analysis and geographic information systems (GIS) have great potential in the timely quantification of erosion in the future. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

No description available.

Aeolian sediment transport threshold is commonly defined as the minimum wind speed (or shear stress) necessary for wind-driven sediment transport. Threshold is a core parameter in most models of aeolian transport. Recent advances in methodology for field-based measurement of threshold show promise for improving parameterizations; however, investigators have varied in choice of method and sensor. The impacts of modifying measurement system configuration are unknown. To address this, two field tests were performed: (i) comparison of four piezoelectric sediment transport sensors, and (ii) comparison of four calculation methods. Data from both comparisons suggest that threshold measurements are non-negligibly modified by measurement system configuration and are incomparable. A poor understanding of natural sediment transport dynamics suggests that development of calibration methods could be difficult. Development of technical standards was explored to improve commensurability of measurements. Standards could assist future researchers with data syntheses and integration. / xi, 108 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1980. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ENGINEERING. / Includes bibliographical references. / by Mohamed Tayeb Benchaita. / Ph.D.

Graduation date: 1994

[Truncated abstract] Landforms rehabilitated after bauxite mining can be vulnerable to soil loss by water erosion processes. On most rehabilitated sites, management controls such as deep ripping, contour mounding and landscaped sub-catchments limit erosion. Despite these measures, severe gully erosion that is anecdotally associated with steep slopes can damage rehabilitated areas and affect downstream drinking water resources. A review of erosion dynamics reveals that gullies develop episodically and in a non-linear manner. They often initiated as a near surface process and are influenced by natural climatic drivers. Despite this, local site characteristics including soil and landform can predispose an area to gully erosion. Moreover, erosion models, becoming more-widely utilized within the mining industry, may provide useful tools with which to measure, analyse, and manage gully erosion. One of these models, SIBERIA was tested to determine its suitability for application a tool to help manage erosion risk. We first surveyed 26 eroding and erosion-prone rehabilitated hillslopes to determine the common form and setting for gully erosion on these rehabilitated bauxite mines. A conceptual model was developed to include and explore the interplay between the common causes of the gullies surveyed. The conceptual model accounts for slope steepness but suggests that additionally, certain triggers and threshold effects operating under different site conditions are as influential (or even more influential) than slope steepness as determinants of gully erosion occurrence and severity. ... Soil properties and soil erodibility had some subtle influence on landform stability and erosion risk. The most-erodible media occurred where either: mine floor material was mixed with topsoil/ overburden; and/or the topsoil/overburden layer was thin or its coverage is patchy resulting in slaking subsoil, hardsetting soil and surface crusts. When erodible surface media were combined with steeper (>8[degrees]) or longer (>50 m) slopes or with any major erosion trigger, rill and gully development was greatly intensified. The SIBERIA simulation model was calibrated and its simulated outputs were compared to known locations of gully erosion on a steep, rehabilitated pit from the Willowdale mine. At a resolution of one metre, SIBERIA was able to simulate the approximate dimensions of gullies. However, SIBERIA could not simulate the exact location of individual gully headcuts. Additionally, SIBERA was able to simulate the effect of different microtopographic surface treatments but this was only achieved by increasing the grid resolution to 25 cm and reducing the size of the area simulated due to model constraints. Locations of gully headcuts were overlain onto a grid-based, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The spatial distribution of gully headcut locations was compared to DEM derivatives such as slope and flow accumulation. Positive, and predictive relationships allow between the steepness of the slope of the pre-mining landform and the cell count of the area contributing to flow (catchment), as determined by GIS, may allow a mine scale indication of erosion risk using simple GIS desktop analysis.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-131). / xv, 131 leaves, bound ill. (some col.) 29 cm

Orientadores: Mara de Andrade Marinho, Edson Eiji Matsura / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T22:57:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Galdino_Sergio_D.pdf: 11328709 bytes, checksum: e5e5fc6d26b74b20826ad8a8bc4a4cef (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: O assoreamento do rio Taquari constitui grave problema ambiental e socioeconômico do Pantanal Brasileiro e decorre principalmente da erosão acelerada do solo ocupado com pastagens degradadas na parte alta da bacia. Um dos modelos mais utilizado para estimar a perda média anual de solo é a Equação Universal de Perda de Solo (USLE). Novas pesquisas foram realizadas para melhorar as estimativas do modelo, originando a Equação Universal de Perda de Solo Revisada (RUSLE). A principal mudança foi na forma de determinação do fator de uso e manejo do solo (C). Na USLE o fator C é obtido a partir do monitoramento constante da perda de solo em parcelas experimentais durante vários anos, constituindo sério empecilho a sua determinação, principalmente no Brasil. Na RUSLE o fator C para pastagens é estimado mais rapidamente, a partir de levantamentos de parâmetros do solo e da vegetação. O objetivo geral do trabalho foi ajustar os fatores da RUSLE às condições locais da bacia do alto Taquari (BAT) e estimar as taxas de perda de solo por erosão, para posterior estudo de cenários de manejo e identificação das práticas mais protetoras dos solos na bacia. O estudo compreendeu áreas de pastagens cultivadas em solos arenosos da BAT. Os parâmetros necessários para estimativas da razão de perda de solo (SLR) e fator C da RUSLE foram levantados em nove parcelas (pastagens) em duas épocas do ano. Análise da SLR e do fator C identificaram valores de C representativos de pastagem não degradada e com níveis de degradação; baixo/médio e alto. Na espacialização do fator C na BAT utilizou-se o modelo linear de mistura espectral. Para a estimativa das perdas de solo nas áreas de pastagens também foram espacializados os demais fatores da RUSLE. A erosividade das chuvas (Fator R) foi estimada a partir de registros mensais e anuais de precipitação de postos pluviométricos localizados na BAT e entorno. Na estimativa da erodibilidade do solo (Fator K) foram utilizados parâmetros físico-químicos do solo levantados no campo. O fator topográfico (LS da RUSLE) foi obtido empregando algoritmo de contribuição de área a montante e modelo digital de elevação do Banco de Dados Geomorfométricos do Brasil (TOPODATA). O fator de práticas conservacionistas do solo (Fator P) foi considerado unitário na estimativa da perda de solo atual na BAT. Também foram estimadas as perdas de solo para dois cenários futuros de manejo adequado do solo e da pastagem. Resultado evidenciou que os valores do fator C estimados pela RUSLE para pastagens se assemelham àqueles determinados pela USLE. A média da perda de solo nas pastagens da BAT em 2010 foi estimada em 9,638 Mg ha-1 ano-1. O estudo de cenários permitiu uma redução em até 75,97% das taxas de perda de solo por erosão com a implementação de manejo adequado do solo e da pastagem. Conclui-se que a RUSLE apresenta bom potencial de estimativa do fator de uso e cobertura do solo, e que se ajustou bem às condições locais da BAT na estimativa da perda de solo / Abstract: The river siltation Taquari constitutes serious environmental and socioeconomic problem of the Brazilian Pantanal and arises principally from accelerated erosion of land occupied by degraded pastures in the upper basin. One of the models used to estimate the average annual soil loss is the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). New research has been done to improve the model estimates, yielding the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The main change was in the method determines the use and soil management factor (C). With USLE, the C factor is obtained from the constant monitoring of soil loss in plots for several years, constituting serious impediment to their determination, especially in Brazil. With RUSLE, the C factor for pastures is estimated sooner, using surveys of soil parameters and vegetation. The overall goal of this work was to adjust RUSLE factors to upper Taquari basin (UTB) local conditions and to estimate soil loss rates due to erosion, for further management scenarios studies and more protective soil identification practices in the basin. The study included pastures grown on sandy soils of the UTB. The required parameters for soil loss ratio estimates (SLR) and the RUSLE C factor were raised in nine plots (pastures) in two seasons. Further SLR analysis identified C factor values for non-degraded, low, medium and highly degraded pasture levels. C factor spatialization for the UTB used the linear spectral mixture model. To estimate soil loss in grazing areas other RUSLE factors were also spatialized. The rainfall erosivity factor (R) was estimated from records of monthly and annual precipitation of rain gauge stations located in and around the UTB. For soil erodibility (K factor) estimation, physic-chemical soil parameters collected in the area were used. The topographic factor (LS RUSLE) was obtained using algorithm contribution of the upstream area and Brazilian geomorphometric digital elevation model data from TOPODATA. The soil conservation practices factor (P) unit was considered estimating soil loss in the UTB. Two future soil loss scenarios were also estimated. Results showed that the C factor values estimated by RUSLE for pastures resemble those determined by USLE. The average soil loss in the pastures of the UTB in 2010 was estimated at 9.638 Mg ha-1 yr-1. The scenario study allowed for a reduction up to 75.97% in the rates of soil loss due to erosion by implementing proper soil and pasture management. We conclude that the RUSLE estimation shows good potential for land use techniques, which fits well into the UTB local conditions and in the estimation of soil loss / Doutorado / Planejamento e Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável / Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola