Soil erosion and deposition characteristics of slope surfaces for two loess soils using indoor simulated rainfall experiment

Abstract

Sediment deposition is an important part of the erosion process. Slope and soil type affect the spatial distribution of erosion–deposition; however, little is known about where erosion and deposition occur specifically and how they interact with influencing factors. To address this issue, four rainfall simulation experiments were conducted in a 1 m × 5 m plot with varying slopes (i.e., 5°, 10°, 15°, and 20°) and simulated rainfall for 1 h at a rate of 60 mm h−1. For the two soils, the runoff rate and sediment concentration were correlated with a similar temporal pattern. Runoff increased gradually and ultimately approached a steady state, and the sediment concentration decreased gradually and ultimately approached a steady state, which indicated that the erosion processes of the two soils were controlled by the detachment-limited condition. The sediment concentration and erosion rate were positively correlated with slope. However, the onset of runoff was delayed for AS soil, which also had a relatively high sediment concentration. The distribution range and area of deposition for the two soils were negatively correlated with the slope gradient, and the main deposition area occurred at the bottom of the plots. In contrast, the SD soil was more susceptible to deposition, and the deposition thickness was mainly concentrated within a 0–4 mm depth; this concentration was not observed for AS soil because of its high erosion intensity. Overall, this similarity also existed in the spatial variations of silt and fine sand contents in the soil surface. The silt and fine sand-sized particles were the primary eroded particle sizes; however, selective mechanisms of these two particle sizes were obviously different in the two soils. The results indicated that the erosion–deposition characteristics and the main eroded materials differed with varying erosion intensities and soil types. These findings are essential for a more comprehensive understanding of soil erosion mechanisms under conditions without rill formation.