Abstract
Abstract. Climatic conditions and vegetation cover influence water flux in a slope which affect the pore water pressure and self weight, hence its stability. High evapotranspiration and low precipitation rates during summer cause dry soil with low soil moisture (SM) that leads to soil shrinkage, which leads to cracking and reduced shear strength, which consequently decreases the stability of slopes. Soil re-wetting increases slope weight and exerts an additional driving force on the slope. Using Earth observation (EO) data facilitates frequent, large-scale monitoring to identify the vulnerable areas along the slopes to avoid instability. Here we study the displacement of a vegetated dike subject to SM variations under varying climatic conditions. Results show that the SM and magnitude of total displacement at a desired location are highly positively correlated without time lag. This proof-of-concept study shows that near surface displacement due to interaction with the atmosphere has a strong relation with the water availability in the slope and therefore the Factor of Safety (FoS).
Highlights
Dikes are predominantly earth structures, which form a large part of existing flood defence systems and their primary objective is to provide protection against flood events (CIRIA et al, 2013)
E.g. Cundill et al (2013), Özer et al (2019) and Jamalinia et al (2019a), it has been proposed that Earth Observation (EO) can be a useful tool for increasing the efficiency, objectivity and coverage of dike inspection of vulnerable areas to be identified for detailed studies
As available geotechnical models cannot simulate the effect of vegetation on dike stability, in the current study, a crop growth model is coupled to a Finite Element Method (FEM) model to enable the evaluation of variable climatic and vegetation conditions on dike stability
Summary
Dikes are predominantly earth structures, which form a large part of existing flood defence systems and their primary objective is to provide protection against flood events (CIRIA et al, 2013). Natural or human-induced driving mechanisms can cause dike failures due to either hydraulic or geotechnical problems. The monitoring of these dikes is crucial in assessing safety and avoiding flooding events. E.g. Cundill et al (2013), Özer et al (2019) and Jamalinia et al (2019a), it has been proposed that Earth Observation (EO) can be a useful tool for increasing the efficiency, objectivity and coverage of dike inspection of vulnerable areas to be identified for detailed studies. The displacement of an example vegetated dike under variable climatic conditions is studied, to investigate how measuring displacement would help dike managers detect vulnerable areas along dikes
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
