Soil water is strongly affected by land use/cover in the Loess Plateau in China. Water stored in thick loessal soils is one of the most important resources regulating vegetation growth. However, soil water in the deep...Soil water is strongly affected by land use/cover in the Loess Plateau in China. Water stored in thick loessal soils is one of the most important resources regulating vegetation growth. However, soil water in the deep loess proifle, which is critical for maintaining the function of the“soil water pool”is rarely studied because deep proifle soil samples are dififcult to collect. In this study, four experimental plots were established in 2005 to represent different farming systems on the Changwu Tableland：fallow land, fertilized cropland, unfertilized cropland, and continuous alfalfa. The soil water content in the 15-m-deep loess proifles was monitored continuously from 2007 to 2012 with the neutron probe technique. The results showed that temporal variations in soil water proifles differed among the four farming systems. Under fallow land, the soil water content increased gradually over time, ifrst in the surface layers and later in the deep soil layers. In contrast, the soil water content decreased gradually under continuous alfalfa. The distributions of soil water in deep soil layers under both fertilized and unfertilized cropland were relatively stable over time. Thus farming system signiifcantly affected soil water content. Seven years after the start of the experiment, the soil water contents in the 15-m-deep proifles averaged 23.4%under fallow land, 20.3%under fertilized cropland, 21.6%under unfertilized cropland, and 16.0%under continuous alfalfa. Compared to measurements at the start of the experiment, both fallow land and unfertilized cropland increased soil water storage in the 15-m loess proifles. In contrast, continuous alfalfa reduced soil water storage. Fertilized cropland has no signiifcant effect on soil water storage. These results suggest that deep soil water can be replenished under the fallow and unfertilized farming systems. Dry soil layers （i.e., those which have soil water content less than the stable ifeld water capacity） in the subsoil of the Changwu Tableland region can be classiifed as either temporary dry soil layers or persistent dry soil layers. Temporary dry soil layers, which typically form under annual crops, often disappear during wet years. Persistent dry soil layers generally develop under perennial vegetation. Even after removing the vegetation, persistent dry soil layers remain for several decades. This study provides information useful for the conservation and utilization of soil water resources in the Loess Tableland.展开更多
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used predominantly for environments with low electrical conductivity like freshwater aquifers, glaciers, or dry sandy soils. The objective of the present study was to explore it...Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used predominantly for environments with low electrical conductivity like freshwater aquifers, glaciers, or dry sandy soils. The objective of the present study was to explore its application for mapping in subsurface agricultural soils to a depth of several meters. For a loamy sand and a clayey site on the North China Plain, clay inclusions in the sand were detected; the thickness, inclination, and continuity of the confining clay and silt layers was assessed; and a local water table was mapped. Direct sampling (soil coring and profiling) in the top meter and independent measurement of the water table were utilized to confirm the findings. Also, effective estimates of the dielectric number for the site with the dielectric number of moist clayey soils depending strongly on frequency were obtained. Thus, important properties of soils, like the arrangement and type of layers and in particular their continuity and inclination, could be explored with moderate efforts for rather large areas to help find optimal locations for the time-consuming and expensive measurements which would be necessary to detail a model of the subsurface.展开更多
Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments...Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of phosphorus（P） application at different soil layers on root growth, grain yield, and water-use efficiency（WUE） of winter wheat grown on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China and to explore the relationship between root distribution and grain yield. The experiment consisted of four P treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and two cultivars： one drought-sensitive（Xiaoyan 22, XY22） and one drought-tolerant（Changhan 58, CH58）. The four P treatments were no P（control, CK）, surface P（SP）, deep P（DP）, and deep-band P application（DBP）. CH58 produced larger and deeper root systems, and had higher grain yields and WUE, under the deep P treatments（DP and DBP） than under SP, clearly showing that deep P placement had beneficial effects on the drought-tolerant cultivar. In contrast, the grain yield and root growth of XY22 did not differ between DP or DBP and SP treatments. Further, root dry weight（RW） and root length（RL） in deep soil layer（30-100 cm） were closely positively correlated with grain yield and WUE of CH58（but not XY22）, highlighting the connections between a well-developed subsoil root system and both high grain yield and WUE for the drought-tolerant cultivar. WUE correlated strongly with grain yield for both cultivars（r=0.94, P〈0.001）. In conclusion, deep application of P fertilizer is a practical and feasible means of increasing grain yield and WUE of rainfed winter wheat in semi-arid regions, by promoting deep root development of drought-tolerant cultivars.展开更多
A new method is developed to solve Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer in the cylindrical coordinate system. Based on the governing equations of Biot＇s consolidation and the technique of Laplace transform, F...A new method is developed to solve Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer in the cylindrical coordinate system. Based on the governing equations of Biot＇s consolidation and the technique of Laplace transform, Fourier expansions and Hankel transform with respect to time t, coordinate θ and coordinate r, respectively, a relationship of displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux is established between the ground surface （z = 0） and an arbitrary depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domain. By referring to proper boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the solutions for displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solutions in the physical domain can be acquired by inverting the Laplace and the Hankel transforms.展开更多
The dynamics of soil organic carbon(SOC)in cropland is one of the central issues related to both soil fertility and environmental safety. However, little information is available at county level regarding the spatiote...The dynamics of soil organic carbon(SOC)in cropland is one of the central issues related to both soil fertility and environmental safety. However, little information is available at county level regarding the spatiotemporal variability of SOC in the southwestern mountainous region of China. Thus, this study aimed to explore spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the cultivated soil layer of dry land in Mojiang County,Yunnan Province, China. Data were obtained from the second national soil survey(SNSS) of 1985 and soil tests for fertilizer application carried out by the Mojiang Agricultural Bureau in 2006. The ANOVA test was applied to determine any significant differences between the datasets, while semivariogram analysis was performed on geostatistics via an ordinary Kriging method in order to map spatial patterns of soil organic carbon density(SOCD). The results revealed that SOCD in the cultivated soil layer significantly decreased from 3.93 kg m^(-2) in 1985 to 2.89 kg m^(-2) in 2006, with a total soil organic carbon stock(SOCS) decrease of 41.54×10~4 t over the same period. SOCS levels fell most markedly in yellow-brown soil at a rate of51.52%, while an increase of 8.70% was found in the analysed latosol. Geostatistical analysis also showed that the recorded changes in SOCD between 1985 and2006 were spatially structured. The decreasing trend might be attributed to the combined action of intense cultivation, major crop residue removal without any protective tillage measures, unreasonable fertilization and natural climatic diversity inducing a large decrease in SOC in the studied cultivated dry land region of Mojiang County. Therefore, management measures such as protective tillage should be undertaken in order to enhance soil C sequestration.展开更多
A new analytical method is presented to study the axisymmetric Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer. Starting from the governing equations of axisymmetric Blot＇s consolidation, and based on the property of La...A new analytical method is presented to study the axisymmetric Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer. Starting from the governing equations of axisymmetric Blot＇s consolidation, and based on the property of Laplace transform, the relation of basic variables for a point of a finite soil layer is established between the ground surface （z= 0） and the depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domains. Combined with the boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the analytical solution of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solution in the physical domain can be obtained by inverse Laplace and Hankel transforms. A numerical analysis for the axisymmetric consolidation of a finite soil layer is carried out.展开更多
This paper presents an alternative analytical technique to study a plane strain consolidation of a poroelastic soil by taking into account the anisotropy of permeability. From the governing equations of a saturated po...This paper presents an alternative analytical technique to study a plane strain consolidation of a poroelastic soil by taking into account the anisotropy of permeability. From the governing equations of a saturated poroelastic soil, the relationship of basic variables for a point of a soil layer is established between the ground surface （z=0） and the depth z in the Laplace-Fourier transform domain. Combined with the boundary conditions, an exact solution is derived for plane strain Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer with anisotropic permeability in the transform domain. Numerical inversions of the Laplace transform and the Fourier transform are adopted to obtain the actual solution in the physical domain. Numerical results of plane strain Biot＇s consolidation for a single soil layer show that the anisotropic of permeability has a great influence on the consolidation behavior of the soils.展开更多
A simplified numerical model of heat transfer characteristics of horizontal ground heat exchanger (GHE) in the frozen soil layer is presented and the steady-state distribution of temperature field is simulated. Numeri...A simplified numerical model of heat transfer characteristics of horizontal ground heat exchanger (GHE) in the frozen soil layer is presented and the steady-state distribution of temperature field is simulated. Numerical results show that the frozen depth mainly depends on the soil′s moisture content and ambient temperature. The heat transfer loss of horizontal GHE tends to grow with the increase of the soil′s moisture content and the decrease of ambient temperature. Backfilled materials with optimal thermal conductivity can reduce the thermal loss effectively in the frozen soil. The applicability of the Chinese national standard “Technical Code for Ground Source Heat Pump (GB 50366-2005)” is verified. For a ground source heat pump project, the feasible layout of horizontal GHE should be determined based on the integration of the soil′s structure, backfilled materials, weather data, and economic analysis.展开更多
The direct finite element method is a type commonly used for nonlinear seismic soil-structure interaction(SSI)analysis.This method introduces a truncated boundary referred to as an artificial boundary meant to divide ...The direct finite element method is a type commonly used for nonlinear seismic soil-structure interaction(SSI)analysis.This method introduces a truncated boundary referred to as an artificial boundary meant to divide the soil-structure system into finite and infinite domains.An artificial boundary condition is used on a truncated boundary to achieve seismic input and simulate the wave radiation effect of infinite domain.When the soil layer is particularly thick,especially for a three-dimensional problem,the computational efficiency of seismic SSI analysis is very low due to the large size of the finite element model,which contains an whole thick soil layer.In this paper,an accurate and efficient scheme is developed to solve the nonlinear seismic SSI problem regarding thick soil layers.The process consists of nonlinear site response and SSI analysis.The nonlinear site response analysis is still performed for the whole thick soil layer.The artificial boundary at the bottom of the SSI analysis model is subsequently relocated upward from the bottom of the soil layer(bedrock surface)to the location nearest to the structure as possible.Finally,three types of typical sites and underground structures are adopted with seismic SSI analysis to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed efficient analysis scheme.展开更多
Pedogenetic soil horizons are one of the fundamental building blocks of modern soil classification; however, in soils of urban areas which are often strongly disturbed by human activities, horizons are difficult to di...Pedogenetic soil horizons are one of the fundamental building blocks of modern soil classification; however, in soils of urban areas which are often strongly disturbed by human activities, horizons are difficult to distinguish but substitutive morphological layers may be identified. To identify the characteristic soil layers in an urban environment, 224 soil layers of 36 in-situ pedons were examined and described in urban and suburban Nanjing, and 27 variables were extracted for multivariate analysis. Three groups and six subdivisions were identified by TwoStep cluster analysis combined with hierarchical cluster analysis based on factor scores. Soil forming factors and soil forming processes could be interpreted from the principal component analysis （PCA） of variables, cluster analysis of soil layers, and discriminant analysis of soil layer groups and their subdivisions. Parent materials, moisture regimes, organic matter accumulation, and especially nutrient accumulation were the main causes of characteristic soil layer formations. The numerical approaches used in this study were useful tools for characteristic soil layer identification of urban soils.展开更多
A computational method and a mechanical model for evaluating the vertical dynamic harmonic response characteristics of a single pile embedded in non-homogeneous soil layers and subjected to harmonic loadings were esta...A computational method and a mechanical model for evaluating the vertical dynamic harmonic response characteristics of a single pile embedded in non-homogeneous soil layers and subjected to harmonic loadings were established based on a certain assumption and the improved dynamic model of beam-on-Winkler foundation by using the principle of soil dynamics and structure dynamics. Both non-homogeneity of soil strata and softening effect of soil layer around the pile during vibration were simultaneously taken into account in the proposed computational model. It is shown through the comparative study on a numerical example that the numerical results of dynamic response of the single pile computed by the proposed method are relatively rational and can well agree with the numerical results computed from the well-known software of finite element method. Finally the parametric studies were conducted for a varied range of main parameters to discuss the effects of relevant factors on dynamic responses of the single pile embedded in non-homogeneous layered soils excited by harmonic loading with different frequencies.展开更多
Soil water is an important composition of water recycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.However, intense water exchange between soil-plant and soil-atmosphere interfaces only occurs in a certain layer of the so...Soil water is an important composition of water recycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.However, intense water exchange between soil-plant and soil-atmosphere interfaces only occurs in a certain layer of the soil profile. For deep insight into water active layer(WAL, defined as the soil layer with a coefficient of variation in soil water content >10% in a given time domain) in the Loess Plateau of China,we measured soil water content(SWC) in the 0.0–5.0 m soil profile from 86 sampling sites along an approximately 860-km long south-north transect during the period 2013–2016. Moreover, a dataset contained four climatic factors(mean annual precipitation, mean annual evaporation, annual mean temperature and mean annual dryness index) and five local factors(altitude, slope gradient, land use, clay content and soil organic carbon) of each sampling site was obtained. In this study, three WAL indices(WALT(the thickness of WAL), WAL-CV(the mean coefficient of variation in SWC within WAL) and WALSWC(the mean SWC within WAL)) were used to evaluate the characteristics of WAL. The results showed that with increasing latitude, WAL-T and WAL-CV increased firstly and then decreased. WAL-SWC showed an opposite distribution pattern along the south-north transect compared with WAL-T and WAL-CV.Average WAL-T of the transect was 2.0 m, suggesting intense soil water exchange in the 0.0–2.0 m soil layer in the study area. Soil water exchange was deeper and more intense in the middle region than in the southern and northern regions, with the values of WAL-CV and WAL-T being 27.3% and 4.3 m in the middle region,respectively. Both climatic(10.1%) and local(4.9%) factors influenced the indices of WAL, with climatic factors having a more dominant effect. Compared with multiple linear regressions, pedotransfer functions(PTFs) from arti?cial neural network can better estimate the WAL indices. PTFs developed by artificial neural network respectively explained 86%, 81% and 64% of the total variations in WAL-T, WAL-SWC and WAL-CV. Knowledge of WAL is crucial for understanding the regional water budget and evaluating the stable soil water reserve, regional water characteristics and eco-hydrological processes in the Loess Plateau of China.展开更多
Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile found...Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.展开更多
Mechanisms have been proposed to explain the triggering,development,and persistence of soil liquefaction.The mechanism explaining the horizontal failure plane(triggering)and its depth below the phreatic surface is gov...Mechanisms have been proposed to explain the triggering,development,and persistence of soil liquefaction.The mechanism explaining the horizontal failure plane(triggering)and its depth below the phreatic surface is governed by the flux properties and effective stress at that plane.At the failure plane,the pore water pressure was higher than the effective stress,and the volume change was the highest.The pore water pressure is a function of the soil profile features(particularly the phreatic zone width)and bedrock motion(horizontal acceleration).The volume change at the failure plane is a function of the intrinsic permeability of the soil and bedrock displacement.The failure plane was predicted to occur during the oscillation with the highest amplitude,disregarding further bedrock motion,which was consistent with low seismic energy densities.Two mechanisms were proposed to explain the persistence of soil liquefaction.The first is the existence of low-permeability layers in the depth range in which the failure planes are predicted to occur.The other allows for the persistence and development of soil liquefaction;it is consistent with homogeneous soils and requires water inflow from bedrock water springs.The latter explains many of the features of soil liquefaction observed during earthquakes,namely,surficial effects,“instant”liquefaction,and the occurrence of short-and long-term changes in the level of the phreatic surfaces.This model(hypothesis),the relationship between the flux characteristics and loss of soil shear strength,provides self-consistent constraints on the depth below the phreatic surfaces where the failure planes are observed(expected to occur).It requires further experimental and observational evidence.Similar reasoning can be used to explain other saturated soil phenomena.展开更多
This paper presents a case study on incidents of offshore pile running in layered soils.The study provides a detailed description of the seabed soil data,pile driving records,and field surveillance video observations....This paper presents a case study on incidents of offshore pile running in layered soils.The study provides a detailed description of the seabed soil data,pile driving records,and field surveillance video observations.Three-dimensional large deformation finite element(LDFE)analyses were conducted to retrospectively analyze the incidents,considering the remoulding of seabed soil and degradation of the pile-soil interface in the LDFE modeling.By comparing the field observations with the LDFE analysis,the mechanism of pile running was discussed,with a focus on investigating the pile penetration resistance in each layer.The study revealed that pile running in layered soils primarily resulted from a significant reduction in pile base resistance when transitioning from a strong layer to an adjacent weak layer.To further investigate the pile running mechanism in layered soils,a parametric study on the strength variation of adjacent soil layers and its influence on pile base resistance was conducted.Lastly,a simplified prediction model of pile base resistance,suitable for assessing the risk of pile running in layered soils,was proposed.展开更多
[Objective] The paper was to analyze organic carbon content （SOC）, granularity, total nitrogen content （TN）, carbon-nitrogen ratio （C/N）, calcium carbonate content （CaCO3） of 1cm soil profiles in returning for...[Objective] The paper was to analyze organic carbon content （SOC）, granularity, total nitrogen content （TN）, carbon-nitrogen ratio （C/N）, calcium carbonate content （CaCO3） of 1cm soil profiles in returning forest in Zhifanggou watershed of Ansai County in Loess Plateau, so as to study the changes of physical and chemical properties in abnormal layer of soil reflected with granularity, as well as the physical and chemical responses of soil. [Method] Three quadrats with the size of 10 m×10 m were randomly selected in three sampling plots in Loess Plateau, three profiles in upper, middle and lower slope were excavated, and the samples were collected with interval of 10 cm; the surface layer with the depth of 0-10 cm was divided into two layers of 0-5 and 5-10 cm for sampling, respectively. Eleven samples were collected in each profile with a total of 99 samples. Its organic carbon content, granularity, total nitrogen content, carbon-nitrogen ratio and CaCO3 content were analyzed. [Result] The soil profiles in three sampling sites contained five characteristic layers, including a1, b1, b2, c1 and c2, the content of soil granule with particle size less than 0.02 mm decreased, and those with particle size 0.02 mm increased, the organic carbon content and C/N value （a1, b1, b2, c2） increased, but the increase trend of CaCO3 content was not obvious. [Conclusion] The study shows that the characteristic soil layer is commonly existed in loess region, especially the eroded loess region, which should be paid attention in the research fields of modern soil science and ecology.展开更多
Damage caused by underground coal mining is a serious problem in mining areas in China; therefore, studying and obtaining the rules of ground movement and deformation under different geological conditions is of great ...Damage caused by underground coal mining is a serious problem in mining areas in China; therefore, studying and obtaining the rules of ground movement and deformation under different geological conditions is of great importance. The numerical software ANSYS was used in this study to simulate mining processes under two special geological conditions： （1） thick unconsolidated soil layer and thin bedrock; （2） thin soil layer and thick bedrock. The rules for ground movement and deformation for different soil layer to bedrock ratios were obtained. On the basis of these rules, a prediction parameter modified model of the influence function was proposed, which is suitable for different values of unconsolidated soil layer thickness. The prediction results were verified using two sets of typical field data.展开更多
Constructing a weighting soil layer at the downstream toe of dike on layered ground is an effective measure to prevent the foundation from blowout failures. In this paper, a series of differential equations describing...Constructing a weighting soil layer at the downstream toe of dike on layered ground is an effective measure to prevent the foundation from blowout failures. In this paper, a series of differential equations describing the seepage flow in layered dike foundation were established, and a united method combining analytic method with one-dimensional finite difference method was proposed for solving the equations. The case study shows that the results calculated by the united method are considerably identical to the computational results of Finite Element Method (FEM), and the united method is very simple and easy compared to the FEM.展开更多
Slope failure occurs due to an increase in the saturation level and a subsequent decrease in matric suction in unsaturated soil.This paper presents the results of a series of centrifuge experiments and numerical analy...Slope failure occurs due to an increase in the saturation level and a subsequent decrease in matric suction in unsaturated soil.This paper presents the results of a series of centrifuge experiments and numerical analyses on a 55°inclined unsaturated sandy slope with less permeable,stronger silty sand layer inclusion within it.It is observed that a less permeable,stronger silty sand layer in an otherwise homogeneous sandy soil slope hinders the infiltration of water.The water content of the slope just above the stronger layer increases significantly,compared to elsewhere.No shear band is found to initiate in a homogeneous sandy soil slope,whereas for a non-homogeneous slope,they initiate just above the less pervious,stronger layer.A discontinuity of the shear zone is also observed for the case of a non-homogeneous soil slope.The factor of safety of a non-homogeneous,unsaturated soil slope decreases because of the less permeable,stronger layer.It decreases significantly if this less permeable,stronger soil layer is located near the toe of the slope.展开更多
Throughfall, stemflow, evapotranspiration and infiltration are likely to vary with forest types, and consequently affect soil moisture regimes in different soil layers. In this study, the spatial and temporal characte...Throughfall, stemflow, evapotranspiration and infiltration are likely to vary with forest types, and consequently affect soil moisture regimes in different soil layers. In this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of soil moisture were investigated to understand variations in soil moisture in three typical forests, including Phyllostachys pubescens forest (abbreviated as PPF), Schima superba forest (abbreviated as SSF) and Cunninghamia lanceolata forest (abbreviated as CLF) in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin in southern China. The results showed that,(1) Litterfall and soil physical properties differed significantly in the three typical forests. Infiltration capacity in SSF was more favorable to soil moisture than in PPF and CLF.(2) Large variations were found in soil moisture at different forest stands and depths. Due to complicated vertical structures, there were obvious differences in soil moisture from the 0-20 cm soil layer to the 50-80 cm soil layer.(3) Average soil moisture in each layer was higher in SSF than in PPF and CLF.(4) Soil moisture in different layers correlated closely with precipitation (P<0.01) and the three typical forests had the same change trends with rainfall during the studying period.(5) In topsoil, soil moisture was influe need by soil properties which were mostly determined by litterfall, while in deep soil, soil moisture was affected by variations of soil characteristics, which were mostly determined by root distribution. This study provides a scie ntific basis for better un dersta nding the relati on ships betwee n forest vegetati on and its hydrological effects, helping to facilitate water resources conservation and achieving wise forest management in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin.展开更多
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41171033,51179161 and 41101025)
文摘Soil water is strongly affected by land use/cover in the Loess Plateau in China. Water stored in thick loessal soils is one of the most important resources regulating vegetation growth. However, soil water in the deep loess proifle, which is critical for maintaining the function of the“soil water pool”is rarely studied because deep proifle soil samples are dififcult to collect. In this study, four experimental plots were established in 2005 to represent different farming systems on the Changwu Tableland：fallow land, fertilized cropland, unfertilized cropland, and continuous alfalfa. The soil water content in the 15-m-deep loess proifles was monitored continuously from 2007 to 2012 with the neutron probe technique. The results showed that temporal variations in soil water proifles differed among the four farming systems. Under fallow land, the soil water content increased gradually over time, ifrst in the surface layers and later in the deep soil layers. In contrast, the soil water content decreased gradually under continuous alfalfa. The distributions of soil water in deep soil layers under both fertilized and unfertilized cropland were relatively stable over time. Thus farming system signiifcantly affected soil water content. Seven years after the start of the experiment, the soil water contents in the 15-m-deep proifles averaged 23.4%under fallow land, 20.3%under fertilized cropland, 21.6%under unfertilized cropland, and 16.0%under continuous alfalfa. Compared to measurements at the start of the experiment, both fallow land and unfertilized cropland increased soil water storage in the 15-m loess proifles. In contrast, continuous alfalfa reduced soil water storage. Fertilized cropland has no signiifcant effect on soil water storage. These results suggest that deep soil water can be replenished under the fallow and unfertilized farming systems. Dry soil layers （i.e., those which have soil water content less than the stable ifeld water capacity） in the subsoil of the Changwu Tableland region can be classiifed as either temporary dry soil layers or persistent dry soil layers. Temporary dry soil layers, which typically form under annual crops, often disappear during wet years. Persistent dry soil layers generally develop under perennial vegetation. Even after removing the vegetation, persistent dry soil layers remain for several decades. This study provides information useful for the conservation and utilization of soil water resources in the Loess Tableland.
基金Project supported in part by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany (No. RO 1080/8-1) jointly by Max-Planck Gesellschaft and the Chinese Academy of Sciences through a travel grant to the first author.
文摘Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has been used predominantly for environments with low electrical conductivity like freshwater aquifers, glaciers, or dry sandy soils. The objective of the present study was to explore its application for mapping in subsurface agricultural soils to a depth of several meters. For a loamy sand and a clayey site on the North China Plain, clay inclusions in the sand were detected; the thickness, inclination, and continuity of the confining clay and silt layers was assessed; and a local water table was mapped. Direct sampling (soil coring and profiling) in the top meter and independent measurement of the water table were utilized to confirm the findings. Also, effective estimates of the dielectric number for the site with the dielectric number of moist clayey soils depending strongly on frequency were obtained. Thus, important properties of soils, like the arrangement and type of layers and in particular their continuity and inclination, could be explored with moderate efforts for rather large areas to help find optimal locations for the time-consuming and expensive measurements which would be necessary to detail a model of the subsurface.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31270553)the National 973 Program of China(2009CB118604)the Special Fund for Agro-Scientific Research in the Public Interest of China(201103003)
文摘Deep phosphorus application can be a usefull measure to improve crops＇ performance in semi-arid regions, but more knowledge of both its general effects and effects on specific crops is required to optimize treatments. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of phosphorus（P） application at different soil layers on root growth, grain yield, and water-use efficiency（WUE） of winter wheat grown on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China and to explore the relationship between root distribution and grain yield. The experiment consisted of four P treatments in a randomized complete block design with three replicates and two cultivars： one drought-sensitive（Xiaoyan 22, XY22） and one drought-tolerant（Changhan 58, CH58）. The four P treatments were no P（control, CK）, surface P（SP）, deep P（DP）, and deep-band P application（DBP）. CH58 produced larger and deeper root systems, and had higher grain yields and WUE, under the deep P treatments（DP and DBP） than under SP, clearly showing that deep P placement had beneficial effects on the drought-tolerant cultivar. In contrast, the grain yield and root growth of XY22 did not differ between DP or DBP and SP treatments. Further, root dry weight（RW） and root length（RL） in deep soil layer（30-100 cm） were closely positively correlated with grain yield and WUE of CH58（but not XY22）, highlighting the connections between a well-developed subsoil root system and both high grain yield and WUE for the drought-tolerant cultivar. WUE correlated strongly with grain yield for both cultivars（r=0.94, P〈0.001）. In conclusion, deep application of P fertilizer is a practical and feasible means of increasing grain yield and WUE of rainfed winter wheat in semi-arid regions, by promoting deep root development of drought-tolerant cultivars.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (50578121)
文摘A new method is developed to solve Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer in the cylindrical coordinate system. Based on the governing equations of Biot＇s consolidation and the technique of Laplace transform, Fourier expansions and Hankel transform with respect to time t, coordinate θ and coordinate r, respectively, a relationship of displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux is established between the ground surface （z = 0） and an arbitrary depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domain. By referring to proper boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the solutions for displacements, stresses, excess pore water pressure and flux of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solutions in the physical domain can be acquired by inverting the Laplace and the Hankel transforms.
基金supported as a special project by the Agriculture Ministry of China(Grant No.201503119)the Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41471232)
文摘The dynamics of soil organic carbon(SOC)in cropland is one of the central issues related to both soil fertility and environmental safety. However, little information is available at county level regarding the spatiotemporal variability of SOC in the southwestern mountainous region of China. Thus, this study aimed to explore spatiotemporal changes of SOC in the cultivated soil layer of dry land in Mojiang County,Yunnan Province, China. Data were obtained from the second national soil survey(SNSS) of 1985 and soil tests for fertilizer application carried out by the Mojiang Agricultural Bureau in 2006. The ANOVA test was applied to determine any significant differences between the datasets, while semivariogram analysis was performed on geostatistics via an ordinary Kriging method in order to map spatial patterns of soil organic carbon density(SOCD). The results revealed that SOCD in the cultivated soil layer significantly decreased from 3.93 kg m^(-2) in 1985 to 2.89 kg m^(-2) in 2006, with a total soil organic carbon stock(SOCS) decrease of 41.54×10~4 t over the same period. SOCS levels fell most markedly in yellow-brown soil at a rate of51.52%, while an increase of 8.70% was found in the analysed latosol. Geostatistical analysis also showed that the recorded changes in SOCD between 1985 and2006 were spatially structured. The decreasing trend might be attributed to the combined action of intense cultivation, major crop residue removal without any protective tillage measures, unreasonable fertilization and natural climatic diversity inducing a large decrease in SOC in the studied cultivated dry land region of Mojiang County. Therefore, management measures such as protective tillage should be undertaken in order to enhance soil C sequestration.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50578121)
文摘A new analytical method is presented to study the axisymmetric Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer. Starting from the governing equations of axisymmetric Blot＇s consolidation, and based on the property of Laplace transform, the relation of basic variables for a point of a finite soil layer is established between the ground surface （z= 0） and the depth z in the Laplace and Hankel transform domains. Combined with the boundary conditions of the finite soil layer, the analytical solution of any point in the transform domain can be obtained. The actual solution in the physical domain can be obtained by inverse Laplace and Hankel transforms. A numerical analysis for the axisymmetric consolidation of a finite soil layer is carried out.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.50578121)
文摘This paper presents an alternative analytical technique to study a plane strain consolidation of a poroelastic soil by taking into account the anisotropy of permeability. From the governing equations of a saturated poroelastic soil, the relationship of basic variables for a point of a soil layer is established between the ground surface （z=0） and the depth z in the Laplace-Fourier transform domain. Combined with the boundary conditions, an exact solution is derived for plane strain Biot＇s consolidation of a finite soil layer with anisotropic permeability in the transform domain. Numerical inversions of the Laplace transform and the Fourier transform are adopted to obtain the actual solution in the physical domain. Numerical results of plane strain Biot＇s consolidation for a single soil layer show that the anisotropic of permeability has a great influence on the consolidation behavior of the soils.
基金Supported by Tianjin Scientific Development Foundation (No.013112811-1) .
文摘A simplified numerical model of heat transfer characteristics of horizontal ground heat exchanger (GHE) in the frozen soil layer is presented and the steady-state distribution of temperature field is simulated. Numerical results show that the frozen depth mainly depends on the soil′s moisture content and ambient temperature. The heat transfer loss of horizontal GHE tends to grow with the increase of the soil′s moisture content and the decrease of ambient temperature. Backfilled materials with optimal thermal conductivity can reduce the thermal loss effectively in the frozen soil. The applicability of the Chinese national standard “Technical Code for Ground Source Heat Pump (GB 50366-2005)” is verified. For a ground source heat pump project, the feasible layout of horizontal GHE should be determined based on the integration of the soil′s structure, backfilled materials, weather data, and economic analysis.
基金National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No.2015CB057902Ministry of Education Innovation Team of China under Grant No.IRT_17R03National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.51421005 and 51678015。
文摘The direct finite element method is a type commonly used for nonlinear seismic soil-structure interaction(SSI)analysis.This method introduces a truncated boundary referred to as an artificial boundary meant to divide the soil-structure system into finite and infinite domains.An artificial boundary condition is used on a truncated boundary to achieve seismic input and simulate the wave radiation effect of infinite domain.When the soil layer is particularly thick,especially for a three-dimensional problem,the computational efficiency of seismic SSI analysis is very low due to the large size of the finite element model,which contains an whole thick soil layer.In this paper,an accurate and efficient scheme is developed to solve the nonlinear seismic SSI problem regarding thick soil layers.The process consists of nonlinear site response and SSI analysis.The nonlinear site response analysis is still performed for the whole thick soil layer.The artificial boundary at the bottom of the SSI analysis model is subsequently relocated upward from the bottom of the soil layer(bedrock surface)to the location nearest to the structure as possible.Finally,three types of typical sites and underground structures are adopted with seismic SSI analysis to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed efficient analysis scheme.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No40625001)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NoKZCX2-YW-409)
文摘Pedogenetic soil horizons are one of the fundamental building blocks of modern soil classification; however, in soils of urban areas which are often strongly disturbed by human activities, horizons are difficult to distinguish but substitutive morphological layers may be identified. To identify the characteristic soil layers in an urban environment, 224 soil layers of 36 in-situ pedons were examined and described in urban and suburban Nanjing, and 27 variables were extracted for multivariate analysis. Three groups and six subdivisions were identified by TwoStep cluster analysis combined with hierarchical cluster analysis based on factor scores. Soil forming factors and soil forming processes could be interpreted from the principal component analysis （PCA） of variables, cluster analysis of soil layers, and discriminant analysis of soil layer groups and their subdivisions. Parent materials, moisture regimes, organic matter accumulation, and especially nutrient accumulation were the main causes of characteristic soil layer formations. The numerical approaches used in this study were useful tools for characteristic soil layer identification of urban soils.
基金the Post Doctor Science Foundation of China(Grant No.20060390806 &20060400241)the Taishan Scholar Foundation of Shandong ProvinceScience Development Foundation of Shandong University of Science and Technology(Grant No.05g002)
文摘A computational method and a mechanical model for evaluating the vertical dynamic harmonic response characteristics of a single pile embedded in non-homogeneous soil layers and subjected to harmonic loadings were established based on a certain assumption and the improved dynamic model of beam-on-Winkler foundation by using the principle of soil dynamics and structure dynamics. Both non-homogeneity of soil strata and softening effect of soil layer around the pile during vibration were simultaneously taken into account in the proposed computational model. It is shown through the comparative study on a numerical example that the numerical results of dynamic response of the single pile computed by the proposed method are relatively rational and can well agree with the numerical results computed from the well-known software of finite element method. Finally the parametric studies were conducted for a varied range of main parameters to discuss the effects of relevant factors on dynamic responses of the single pile embedded in non-homogeneous layered soils excited by harmonic loading with different frequencies.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41530854, 41571130081)the National Key Project for Research and Development (2016YFC0501605)the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2017076)
文摘Soil water is an important composition of water recycle in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.However, intense water exchange between soil-plant and soil-atmosphere interfaces only occurs in a certain layer of the soil profile. For deep insight into water active layer(WAL, defined as the soil layer with a coefficient of variation in soil water content >10% in a given time domain) in the Loess Plateau of China,we measured soil water content(SWC) in the 0.0–5.0 m soil profile from 86 sampling sites along an approximately 860-km long south-north transect during the period 2013–2016. Moreover, a dataset contained four climatic factors(mean annual precipitation, mean annual evaporation, annual mean temperature and mean annual dryness index) and five local factors(altitude, slope gradient, land use, clay content and soil organic carbon) of each sampling site was obtained. In this study, three WAL indices(WALT(the thickness of WAL), WAL-CV(the mean coefficient of variation in SWC within WAL) and WALSWC(the mean SWC within WAL)) were used to evaluate the characteristics of WAL. The results showed that with increasing latitude, WAL-T and WAL-CV increased firstly and then decreased. WAL-SWC showed an opposite distribution pattern along the south-north transect compared with WAL-T and WAL-CV.Average WAL-T of the transect was 2.0 m, suggesting intense soil water exchange in the 0.0–2.0 m soil layer in the study area. Soil water exchange was deeper and more intense in the middle region than in the southern and northern regions, with the values of WAL-CV and WAL-T being 27.3% and 4.3 m in the middle region,respectively. Both climatic(10.1%) and local(4.9%) factors influenced the indices of WAL, with climatic factors having a more dominant effect. Compared with multiple linear regressions, pedotransfer functions(PTFs) from arti?cial neural network can better estimate the WAL indices. PTFs developed by artificial neural network respectively explained 86%, 81% and 64% of the total variations in WAL-T, WAL-SWC and WAL-CV. Knowledge of WAL is crucial for understanding the regional water budget and evaluating the stable soil water reserve, regional water characteristics and eco-hydrological processes in the Loess Plateau of China.
基金The Ministry of Education,Government of India,for the financial assistance provided during the research work。
文摘Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.
文摘Mechanisms have been proposed to explain the triggering,development,and persistence of soil liquefaction.The mechanism explaining the horizontal failure plane(triggering)and its depth below the phreatic surface is governed by the flux properties and effective stress at that plane.At the failure plane,the pore water pressure was higher than the effective stress,and the volume change was the highest.The pore water pressure is a function of the soil profile features(particularly the phreatic zone width)and bedrock motion(horizontal acceleration).The volume change at the failure plane is a function of the intrinsic permeability of the soil and bedrock displacement.The failure plane was predicted to occur during the oscillation with the highest amplitude,disregarding further bedrock motion,which was consistent with low seismic energy densities.Two mechanisms were proposed to explain the persistence of soil liquefaction.The first is the existence of low-permeability layers in the depth range in which the failure planes are predicted to occur.The other allows for the persistence and development of soil liquefaction;it is consistent with homogeneous soils and requires water inflow from bedrock water springs.The latter explains many of the features of soil liquefaction observed during earthquakes,namely,surficial effects,“instant”liquefaction,and the occurrence of short-and long-term changes in the level of the phreatic surfaces.This model(hypothesis),the relationship between the flux characteristics and loss of soil shear strength,provides self-consistent constraints on the depth below the phreatic surfaces where the failure planes are observed(expected to occur).It requires further experimental and observational evidence.Similar reasoning can be used to explain other saturated soil phenomena.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.51879183,51890913)Sino-German Mobility Programme(Grant No.M-0045)。
文摘This paper presents a case study on incidents of offshore pile running in layered soils.The study provides a detailed description of the seabed soil data,pile driving records,and field surveillance video observations.Three-dimensional large deformation finite element(LDFE)analyses were conducted to retrospectively analyze the incidents,considering the remoulding of seabed soil and degradation of the pile-soil interface in the LDFE modeling.By comparing the field observations with the LDFE analysis,the mechanism of pile running was discussed,with a focus on investigating the pile penetration resistance in each layer.The study revealed that pile running in layered soils primarily resulted from a significant reduction in pile base resistance when transitioning from a strong layer to an adjacent weak layer.To further investigate the pile running mechanism in layered soils,a parametric study on the strength variation of adjacent soil layers and its influence on pile base resistance was conducted.Lastly,a simplified prediction model of pile base resistance,suitable for assessing the risk of pile running in layered soils,was proposed.
基金Supported by Knowledge Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences(KZCX2-XB2-05-01)Research Program of Weinan Teachers College(07YKZ056)~~
文摘[Objective] The paper was to analyze organic carbon content （SOC）, granularity, total nitrogen content （TN）, carbon-nitrogen ratio （C/N）, calcium carbonate content （CaCO3） of 1cm soil profiles in returning forest in Zhifanggou watershed of Ansai County in Loess Plateau, so as to study the changes of physical and chemical properties in abnormal layer of soil reflected with granularity, as well as the physical and chemical responses of soil. [Method] Three quadrats with the size of 10 m×10 m were randomly selected in three sampling plots in Loess Plateau, three profiles in upper, middle and lower slope were excavated, and the samples were collected with interval of 10 cm; the surface layer with the depth of 0-10 cm was divided into two layers of 0-5 and 5-10 cm for sampling, respectively. Eleven samples were collected in each profile with a total of 99 samples. Its organic carbon content, granularity, total nitrogen content, carbon-nitrogen ratio and CaCO3 content were analyzed. [Result] The soil profiles in three sampling sites contained five characteristic layers, including a1, b1, b2, c1 and c2, the content of soil granule with particle size less than 0.02 mm decreased, and those with particle size 0.02 mm increased, the organic carbon content and C/N value （a1, b1, b2, c2） increased, but the increase trend of CaCO3 content was not obvious. [Conclusion] The study shows that the characteristic soil layer is commonly existed in loess region, especially the eroded loess region, which should be paid attention in the research fields of modern soil science and ecology.
文摘Damage caused by underground coal mining is a serious problem in mining areas in China; therefore, studying and obtaining the rules of ground movement and deformation under different geological conditions is of great importance. The numerical software ANSYS was used in this study to simulate mining processes under two special geological conditions： （1） thick unconsolidated soil layer and thin bedrock; （2） thin soil layer and thick bedrock. The rules for ground movement and deformation for different soil layer to bedrock ratios were obtained. On the basis of these rules, a prediction parameter modified model of the influence function was proposed, which is suitable for different values of unconsolidated soil layer thickness. The prediction results were verified using two sets of typical field data.
文摘Constructing a weighting soil layer at the downstream toe of dike on layered ground is an effective measure to prevent the foundation from blowout failures. In this paper, a series of differential equations describing the seepage flow in layered dike foundation were established, and a united method combining analytic method with one-dimensional finite difference method was proposed for solving the equations. The case study shows that the results calculated by the united method are considerably identical to the computational results of Finite Element Method (FEM), and the united method is very simple and easy compared to the FEM.
文摘Slope failure occurs due to an increase in the saturation level and a subsequent decrease in matric suction in unsaturated soil.This paper presents the results of a series of centrifuge experiments and numerical analyses on a 55°inclined unsaturated sandy slope with less permeable,stronger silty sand layer inclusion within it.It is observed that a less permeable,stronger silty sand layer in an otherwise homogeneous sandy soil slope hinders the infiltration of water.The water content of the slope just above the stronger layer increases significantly,compared to elsewhere.No shear band is found to initiate in a homogeneous sandy soil slope,whereas for a non-homogeneous slope,they initiate just above the less pervious,stronger layer.A discontinuity of the shear zone is also observed for the case of a non-homogeneous soil slope.The factor of safety of a non-homogeneous,unsaturated soil slope decreases because of the less permeable,stronger layer.It decreases significantly if this less permeable,stronger soil layer is located near the toe of the slope.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(41261006)
文摘Throughfall, stemflow, evapotranspiration and infiltration are likely to vary with forest types, and consequently affect soil moisture regimes in different soil layers. In this study, the spatial and temporal characteristics of soil moisture were investigated to understand variations in soil moisture in three typical forests, including Phyllostachys pubescens forest (abbreviated as PPF), Schima superba forest (abbreviated as SSF) and Cunninghamia lanceolata forest (abbreviated as CLF) in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin in southern China. The results showed that,(1) Litterfall and soil physical properties differed significantly in the three typical forests. Infiltration capacity in SSF was more favorable to soil moisture than in PPF and CLF.(2) Large variations were found in soil moisture at different forest stands and depths. Due to complicated vertical structures, there were obvious differences in soil moisture from the 0-20 cm soil layer to the 50-80 cm soil layer.(3) Average soil moisture in each layer was higher in SSF than in PPF and CLF.(4) Soil moisture in different layers correlated closely with precipitation (P<0.01) and the three typical forests had the same change trends with rainfall during the studying period.(5) In topsoil, soil moisture was influe need by soil properties which were mostly determined by litterfall, while in deep soil, soil moisture was affected by variations of soil characteristics, which were mostly determined by root distribution. This study provides a scie ntific basis for better un dersta nding the relati on ships betwee n forest vegetati on and its hydrological effects, helping to facilitate water resources conservation and achieving wise forest management in the upper reaches of Lijiang River basin.
