Initial Moisture Conditions Research Articles

Forecasting summer convection over the Black Forest: a case study from the Convective and Orographically‐induced Precipitation Study (COPS) experiment

AbstractIn the mid‐afternoon of 15 July 2007, during the Convective and Orographically‐induced Precipitation Study (COPS), in a very warm and dry environment, an isolated, short‐lived, deep convective system developed over the southern Black Forest. Most of the high‐resolution, convection‐permitting models involved in COPS were unable to capture this event whereas the Meso‐NH forecast was quite skilful. To assess the Meso‐NH performance further, the model results were carefully checked against the various and numerous COPS observations. In full agreement with clear‐air radar observations, model results underlined the triggering role of a low‐level convergence line that developed in the lee of the Feldberg. The main departure from the observations was found to be in the low‐level moisture fields, which appeared significantly moister in the model than in the observations and also slightly moister than in the other models. Sensitivity studies showed that this departure from the observations was strongly controlled by the initial surface moisture conditions. When the surface moisture was reduced by 20% or replaced by the value derived from a different analysis, the evolution of the planetary boundary layer was more accurately represented while the storm evolution was still correctly captured. These results demonstrate that the quality of the initial forecast cannot be ascribed to the moist bias of the model. It could therefore be hypothesized that the key parameters for a satisfactory forecast of this event lie more in the ability of the model to reproduce the dynamical forcing accurately than in the characteristics of the air‐mass instability. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society

Composting of Food Waste and Mixed Poultry Manure Inoculated with Effective Microorganisms

Food waste and poultry manure mixes inoculated with effective microorganisms (EM) were composted by a rotating drum composter under initial moisture conditions of 63-74% (w.b). Composting was performed for 24 hrs using steam from a firewood boiler (450MJ/hr) which heated the composting mass in order to maintain the temperature of the compost between 60 and 80°. Parameters monitored over this period included the nutrient content, heavy metal content, maturity and stability indices etc. Changes in pH, moisture content, EC (electrical conductivity), NaCl and C/N during composting were consistent with those generally observed in ordinary composting systems. The parameters were influenced by the feedstock materials but not affected by inoculation with EM. The C/N ratios and moisture content of the composts decreased with the composting time. The NaCl content of the food waste compost increased with composting time but was less than 1.0% (d.b). For the finished food waste compost, the compost stability index, based on oxygen uptakes, was less than 0.3 mg/ g VS· hr and the compost maturity index, based on seed germination rates, was greater than 80%. The finished food waste compost could be utilized for land improvement whereas that using food waste amended with poultry manure could not be utilized.

Sensitivity of a mountain basin flash flood to initial wetness condition and rainfall variability

The sensitivities of runoff generation to rainfall variability and initial wetness conditions were examined for a major flash flood event that occurred during August 29, 2003 on the upper Tagliamento river basin in the eastern Italian Alps. The Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN)-based Real-time Integrated Basin Simulator (tRIBS) distributed hydrologic model was used to simulate the hydrologic response over a range of sub-basins. The model was calibrated for the single flash flood event based on the observed hydrograph at the outlet of the basin examined (Fella basin) and was validated based on the available observed hydrographs at interior points of the basin. A series of hydrologic simulations were performed for different initial soil moisture conditions and rainfall forcing resolutions in order to evaluate the sensitivity of runoff generation to those variables. Evaluation of the results suggests that both initial wetness and rainfall resolution affect significantly the simulated peak flow and runoff volume during the flash flood event. Sensitivity to initial wetness exhibits a scale dependence with the sensitivity increasing with basin scale. The bias introduced to the basin-averaged rainfall due to aggregation had a significant effect on runoff generation for all basin scales, while the effect of variability smoothing was important only for the larger scale basins. Finally, the sensitivity of the flood hydrograph to rainfall aggregation was shown to be more important for drier initial wetness states.

Effect of antecedent soil moisture conditions on emissions and isotopologue distribution of N2O during denitrification

The present study determined the influence of initial moisture conditions on the production and consumption of nitrous oxide (N2O) during denitrification and on the isotopic fingerprint of soil-emitted N2O. Sieved arable soil was pre-incubated at two different moisture contents: pre-wet at 75% and pre-dry at 20% water-filled pore space. After wetting to 90% water-filled pore space the soils were amended with glucose (400 kg C ha−1) and KNO3 (80 kg N ha−1) and incubated for 10 days under a He/O2-atmosphere. Antecedent moisture conditions affected denitrification. N2 + N2O fluxes and the N2O-to-N2 ratio were higher in soils which were pre-incubated under dry conditions, probably because mobilization of organic C during the pre-treatment enhanced denitrification. Gaseous N fluxes showed similar time patterns of production and reduction of N2O in both treatments, where N2O fluxes were initially increasing and maximised 3–4 days after fertilizer application, and N2 fluxes were delayed by 1–2 days. Time courses of δ15Nbulk–N2O and δ18O–N2O exhibited in both treatments increasing trends until maximum N2 fluxes occurred, reflecting isotope fractionation during intense NO3− reduction. Later this trend slowed down in the pre-dry treatment, while δ18O–N2O was constant and δ15Nbulk–N2O decreased in the pre-wet treatment. We explain these time patterns by non-homogenous distribution of NO3− and denitrification activity, resulting from application of NO3− and glucose to the surface of the soil. We assume that several process zones were thus created, which affected differently the isotopic signature of N2O and the N2O and N2 fluxes during the different stages of the process. We modelled the δ15Nbulk–N2O using process rates and associated fractionation factors for the pre-treated soils, which confirmed our hypothesis. The site preference (SP) initially decreased while N2O reduction was absent, which we could not explain by the N-flux pattern. During the subsequent increase in N2 flux, SP and δ18O–N2O increased concurrently, confirming that this isotope pattern is indicative for N2O reduction to N2. The possible effect of the antecedent moisture conditions of the soil on N2O emissions was shown to be important.

Improving runoff prediction through the assimilation of the ASCAT soil moisture product

Abstract. The role and the importance of soil moisture for meteorological, agricultural and hydrological applications is widely known. Remote sensing offers the unique capability to monitor soil moisture over large areas (catchment scale) with, nowadays, a temporal resolution suitable for hydrological purposes. However, the accuracy of the remotely sensed soil moisture estimates has to be carefully checked. The validation of these estimates with in-situ measurements is not straightforward due the well-known problems related to the spatial mismatch and the measurement accuracy. The analysis of the effects deriving from assimilating remotely sensed soil moisture data into hydrological or meteorological models could represent a more valuable method to test their reliability. In particular, the assimilation of satellite-derived soil moisture estimates into rainfall-runoff models at different scales and over different regions represents an important scientific and operational issue. In this study, the soil wetness index (SWI) product derived from the Advanced SCATterometer (ASCAT) sensor onboard of the Metop satellite was tested. The SWI was firstly compared with the soil moisture temporal pattern derived from a continuous rainfall-runoff model (MISDc) to assess its relationship with modeled data. Then, by using a simple data assimilation technique, the linearly rescaled SWI that matches the range of variability of modelled data (denoted as SWI*) was assimilated into MISDc and the model performance on flood estimation was analyzed. Moreover, three synthetic experiments considering errors on rainfall, model parameters and initial soil wetness conditions were carried out. These experiments allowed to further investigate the SWI potential when uncertain conditions take place. The most significant flood events, which occurred in the period 2000–2009 on five subcatchments of the Upper Tiber River in central Italy, ranging in extension between 100 and 650 km2, were used as case studies. Results reveal that the SWI derived from the ASCAT sensor can be conveniently adopted to improve runoff prediction in the study area, mainly if the initial soil wetness conditions are unknown.

Field evidence of pore pressure diffusion in clayey soils prone to landsliding

The hydrologic behavior of shallow weathered soils commonly determines the propensity for slope failure. Here we use laboratory data and field data collected by an automated monitoring system to assess the character of pore water pressure responses in a natural clay slope subject to intermittent rainfall. Although we did not measure pore pressure distributions that triggered slope failure, we obtained three years of field data that provided reliable and largely reproducible documentation of transient pore pressure responses. At depths of tens of centimeters to a few meters below the ground surface, moisture and pressure sensors recorded relatively fast, transient responses to precipitation. The speeds of pore pressure pulses advancing downward in the saturated zone were much larger than those of advective fronts driven by gravity, and the amplitudes of the pulses attenuated with depth. Statistical assessment of 129 pressure head responses demonstrates that this behavior is consistent with predictions of a linear, one‐dimensional pore pressure diffusion model. However, the model best simulates measurements if diffusivity is treated as a calibration parameter and if initial moisture conditions match model assumptions. For regional assessment of slope stability, the predictive accuracy of the linear‐diffusion model is limited by inherent uncertainties in defining the initial conditions and in assigning the values of hydraulic parameters.

Reducing drying shrinkage of concrete by treatment of aggregate

Drying shrinkage of concrete has been found to cause cracking, water leakage and other serviceability problems and is thus an important research topic. In early studies, it has been found that the shrinkage of concrete varies with the rock aggregate used. This is partly because the aggregate also shrinks and the shrinkage of aggregate is dependent on the type of rock from which the aggregate is derived. However, there have been few studies on the shrinkage of rock and how the shrinkage of aggregate would affect the shrinkage of concrete. In this study, the shrinkage of the granite rock in Hong Kong was measured. It has been found that the rock shrinks quite substantially upon drying and that its shrinkage is dependent on the initial moisture condition. Based on such observation, two alternative methods of treating the aggregate before use so as to reduce the shrinkage of concrete are proposed. Long-term shrinkage measurement of concrete made with untreated and treated aggregates revealed that the proposed methods of aggregate treatment, which are still rudimentary, can significantly reduce the shrinkage of concrete.

Tropical South America–Atlantic Sector Convective Margins and Their Relationship to Low-Level Inflow

Abstract The edges or margins of tropical convective zones are hypothesized to be sensitive to low-level inflow conditions. The present study evaluates where and to what extent convective margin variability is sensitive to low-level inflow variability using observed precipitation and reanalysis wind and total precipitable water data over the tropical South America–Atlantic sector in austral summer. Composite analysis based on an inflow measure defined by projecting low-level monthly-mean atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) or lower free troposphere (LFT) winds onto either mean horizontal precipitation or precipitable water gradients shows widespread contraction of the edges of convection zones in the direction of stronger convection for anomalously strong low-level inflow; such behavior is consistent with enhanced import of relatively dry air along the edges of convection zones. However, the distinction between ABL and LFT winds may be significant regionally, for example, along the Atlantic ITCZ’s northern margin. Back trajectory analysis is employed to estimate source regions of low-level air masses arriving at margin points over time scales (2–4 days) during which low-level air masses are expected to retain some memory of initial moisture conditions while also undergoing diabatic modification. Probability distribution functions of mean precipitation values encountered along trajectories facilitate objective quantification of the frequency with which trajectories approach the margin from drier areas outside the convection zone. While margin points in the ABL are strongly dominated by inflow (i.e., trajectories originating outside of the convection zone), points in the LFT may show inflow, outflow, or mixed inflow–outflow conditions. LFT locations dominated by inflow trajectories generally correspond to regions with composites exhibiting the clearest signatures of LFT wind variability on precipitation.

Assessment of initial soil moisture conditions for event-based rainfall–runoff modelling

Flash floods are the most destructive natural hazards that occur in the Mediterranean region. Rainfall–runoff models can be very useful for flash flood forecasting and prediction. Event-based models are very popular for operational purposes, but there is a need to reduce the uncertainties related to the initial moisture conditions estimation prior to a flood event. This paper aims to compare several soil moisture indicators: local Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) measurements of soil moisture, modelled soil moisture through the Interaction-Sol–Biosphère–Atmosphère (ISBA) component of the SIM model (Météo-France), antecedent precipitation and base flow. A modelling approach based on the Soil Conservation Service–Curve Number method (SCS–CN) is used to simulate the flood events in a small headwater catchment in the Cevennes region (France). The model involves two parameters: one for the runoff production, S, and one for the routing component, K. The S parameter can be interpreted as the maximal water retention capacity, and acts as the initial condition of the model, depending on the antecedent moisture conditions. The model was calibrated from a 20-flood sample, and led to a median Nash value of 0.9. The local TDR measurements in the deepest layers of soil (80–140 cm) were found to be the best predictors for the S parameter. TDR measurements averaged over the whole soil profile, outputs of the SIM model, and the logarithm of base flow also proved to be good predictors, whereas antecedent precipitations were found to be less efficient. The good correlations observed between the TDR predictors and the S calibrated values indicate that monitoring soil moisture could help setting the initial conditions for simplified event-based models in small basins.

Laboratory studies of the adsorption of two pesticides (diuron and tebuconazole) using a batch design and an experimental flume: influence of contact conditions

The adsorption of two commonly used pesticides, diuron and tebuconazole, on an organic substrate (hemp), which was chosen as an analogue for natural substrates often found in agricultural ditches, has been studied using three different contact schemes: (1) contact in a beaker using a modified batch method; (2) contact in an experimental flume, with a dry start substrate; and (3) same as (2) but with the substrate initially saturated with water. Changes in pesticides concentrations as a function of time as well as adsorption after seven hours have been determined for each case. The highest adsorption is observed for the experiments with a flume initially containing dry hemp. In that case, both the initial condition (hemp initially without water) and the contact conditions between the pesticide solution and the substrate appear to favour adsorption. The lowest adsorption is obtained for the flume containing hemp initially saturated with water. In that case, samples that were obtained at different depths inside the hemp using capillary tubes showed that only the superficial part of the hemp was in equilibrium with the surface water. The presence of an initial water table appears to be a limiting factor for pesticides penetration and further adsorption onto hemp. An intermediate adsorption is obtained for the modified batch method. These results highlight the pronounced influence on adsorption of both the initial hemp wetness conditions and the contact conditions between the pesticides solution and the substrate. This influence should be studied further to assess the potential of agricultural ditches to mitigate pesticides contamination in surface water.

A Second‐Order Accurate, Finite Volume–Based, Integrated Hydrologic Modeling (FIHM) Framework for Simulation of Surface and Subsurface Flow

Surface water, the vadose zone, and groundwater are linked components of a hydrologic continuum. In order to capture the interaction between different components of a hydrologic continuum and to use this understanding in water management situations, an accurate numerical model is needed. The quality of model results depends on accurate representation of the physical processes and the data describing the area of interest, as well as performance of the numerical formulation implemented. Here we present a physics‐based, distributed, fully coupled, second‐order accurate, upwind cell‐centered, constrained unstructured mesh based finite‐volume modeling framework (FIHM) that simultaneously solves two‐dimensional unsteady overland flow and three‐dimensional variably saturated subsurface flow in heterogeneous, anisotropic domains. A multidimensional linear reconstruction of the hydraulic gradients (surface and subsurface) is used to achieve second‐order accuracy. Accuracy and efficiency in raster data and vector‐boundary representations are facilitated through the use of constrained Delaunay meshes in domain discretization. The experiments presented here (i) explore the influence of initial moisture conditions, soil properties, anisotropy, and heterogeneity in determining the pressure head distributions in the vadose and saturated zones, (ii) show the existence of localized “flux rotation” phenomenon due to heterogeneous anisotropy, leading to the creation of convergence–divergence zones, (iii) show the influence of vertical drainage from unsaturated zone on the response of an unconfined aquifer to pumping, and (iv) show the effects of capillarity, saturation excess, infiltration excess, and initial water table location on determining the overland flow generation.

Influence of Clod-Size and Structure on Wetting-Induced Volume Change of Compacted Soil

Volume changes due to wetting may occur in naturally deposited soils as well as earthen construction (e.g., compacted fills or embankments). Depending on the stress level, some soils exhibit increase in volume upon wetting (swell) while others may exhibit decrease in volume upon wetting (collapse). The work described in this paper focused on wetting-induced volume changes in compacted soils. Motivation for this work stemmed from observations of earthen structures that exhibit problematic behavior under wetting conditions, even though soils were compacted to engineering specifications (i.e., at or above minimum density and within moisture content ranges). Not only is this problematic behavior a concern but also the laboratory tests used to predict settlement of constructed facilities may not properly model the actual behavior of compacted under field conditions. For example, settlements experienced by compacted fills may be different from settlement predictions based on one-dimensional oedometer tests. These differences are partly related to the variations in the in tested specimens that arise because clods compacted in the laboratory are smaller than clods compacted in the field. The term soil structure includes the combined effects of fabric and interparticle forces. Fabric generally refers to the geometric arrangement of particles, whereas interparticle forces include physical and physicochemical interactions between particles. The in this case is associated with specimen preparation methods and is influenced by several factors including composition (including pore water chemistry), compaction method, clod sizes, initial moisture condition of clods, dry density or void ratio, and compaction moisture content. A laboratory research study was conducted to investigate the influence of variations in clod-size and on one-dimensional volume change, with emphasis on wetting-induced volume change, for nine different fine-grained soils. The results of the study suggest that the influence of in one-dimensional oedometer tests depends on type and nature of the clods in the compacted soil. Clayey soils appear to be influenced more by differences in structure, whereas silts or clayey sands of low plasticity (PI<10) do not appear to suffer as much from effects in one-dimensional oedometer tests. This is attributed to more extensive clod development in clayey soils. Furthermore, the moisture condition of clods appears to have an important influence on volume change behavior.

Controls on event runoff coefficients in the eastern Italian Alps

summary Analyses of event runoff coefficients provide essential insight on catchment response, particularly if a range of catchments and a range of events are compared by a single indicator. In this study we examine the effect of climate, geology, land use, flood types and initial soil moisture conditions on the distribution functions of the event runoff coefficients for a set of 14 mountainous catchments located in the eastern Italian Alps, ranging in size from 7.3 to 608.4 km 2 . Runoff coefficients were computed from hourly precipitation, runoff data and estimates of snowmelt. A total of 535 events were analysed over the period 1989–2004. We classified each basin using a ‘‘permeability index” which was inferred from a geologic map and ranged from ‘‘low” to ‘‘high permeability”. A continuous soil moisture accounting model was applied to each catchment to classify ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ initial soil moisture conditions. The results indicate that the spatial distribution of runoff coefficients is highly correlated with mean annual precipitation, with the mean runoff coefficient increasing with mean annual precipitation. Geology, through the ‘permeability index’, is another important control on runoff coefficients for catchments with mean annual precipitation less than 1200 mm. Land use, as indexed by the SCS curve number, influences runoff coefficient distribution to a lesser degree. An analysis of the runoff coefficients by flood type indicates that runoff coefficients increase with event snowmelt. Results show that there exists an intermediate region of subsurface water storage capacity, as indexed by a flow–duration curve-based index, which maximises the impact of initial wetness conditions on the runoff coefficient. This means that the difference between runoff coefficients characterised by wet and dry initial conditions is negligible both for basins with very large storage capacity and for basins with small storage capacity. For basins with intermediate storage capacities, the impact of the initial wetness conditions may be relatively large.

Monitoring the hydrologic behaviour of a mountain slope via time‐lapse electrical resistivity tomography

ABSTRACTCatchment and hillslope hydrology is a major research area in geoscience and the understanding of its underlying processes is still poor. Direct investigation of steep hillslopes via drilling is often infeasible. In this paper, we present the results of non‐invasive time‐lapse monitoring of a controlled infiltration test at a site in the Italian Central Alps. The hillslope considered is steep (30–35°), covered with grass and a soil layer 1–1.5 m thick above a variably fractured metamorphic bedrock. The key hydrologic question is whether rainfall infiltrates mainly into the underlying fractured bedrock, thus recharging a deeper hydraulic system, or flows in the soil layer as interflow towards the stream channel a few hundred metres downhill. In order to respond to this question, we applied 2200 mm of artificial rain on a 2 m × 2 m slope box over about 18 hours. We estimated the effective infiltration by subtracting the measured runoff (7% of total). Due to the limited irrigation time and the climate conditions, the evapotranspiration was considered as negligible. The soil moisture variation and the underlying bedrock were monitored via a combination of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), TDR probes and tensiometers. A small‐scale 3D cross‐hole ERT experiment was performed using 2 m deep boreholes purposely drilled and completed with electrodes in the irrigated plot. A larger scale (35 m long) 2D surface ERT survey was also continuously acquired across the irrigated area. Monitoring continued up to 10 days after the experiment. As a result, we observed a very fast vertical infiltration through the soil cover, also favoured by preferential flow patterns, immediately followed by infiltration into the fractured bedrock. The surface layer showed a fast recovery of initial moisture condition nearly completed in the first 12 hours after the end of irrigation. The lateral transmission of infiltrating water and runoff were negligible as compared to the vertical infiltration. These experiment results confirm that the fractured bedrock has a key role in controlling the fast hydrological dynamics of the small catchment system under study. We concluded that deep water circulation is the key pathway to hillslope processes at this site.

Effect of the initial soil moisture content on the spatial distribution of the water retention

The initial soil moisture content affects the water flow and solute transport through the vadose zone, but researchers are in disagreement about the extent and nature of its effects. Better understanding of the initial moisture effect on the water movement will help to prevent groundwater contamination and increase crop production by improving the efficiency of water use in irrigation practice. Therefore, in this study, the effect of the initial moisture content on the spatial distribution of the water retention was investigated in the field. A total of 4 cm of water was applied to duplicate plots with each of three initial moisture conditions within 2 h using a rainfall simulator. Following the application and a 2-h redistribution period, 100 soil samples were taken from different depths of each plot using a grid sampling system to be analyzed for their gravimetric water content in the laboratory. Statistical and geostatistical analyses were performed to analyze the spatial structure of the collected data. The results showed that the preferential flow was more evident in the case of the dry initial soil water content than for the two wetter initial conditions. Both the classical and geostatistical analyses supported that the overall water retention was uniformly distributed throughout the profile except at 20–30 cm, where the coefficient of variation and the percent nugget to total semivariance ratio were high, indicating some degree of preferential flow through large pores (macropores). These results suggest that similar studies should be conducted on different field soils under more different initial moisture conditions so that the effect of the macropores on the water flow and chemical transport can be better understood.

Impacts of initial conditions on cloud-resolving model simulations

Impacts of initial conditions on cloud-resolving model simulations are investigated using a series of sensitivity experiments. Five experiments with perturbed initial temperature, moisture, and cloud conditions are conducted and compared to the control experiment. The model is forced by the large-scale vertical velocity and zonal wind observed and derived from NCEP/Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS). The results indicate that model predictions of rainfall are much more sensitive to the initial conditions than those of temperature and moisture. Further analyses of the surface rainfall equation and the moisture and cloud hydrometeor budgets reveal that the calculations of vapor condensation and deposition rates in the model account for the large sensitivities in rainfall simulations.

Impact of flow rate, water content, and capillary forces on in situ colloid mobilization during infiltration in unsaturated sediments

We studied in situ colloid mobilization under transient flow conditions using columns repacked with Hanford sediments. Rainfall infiltration was experimentally simulated using different flow rates and initial moisture conditions. Five series of column experiments were performed with initial infiltration rates of 0.018, 0.036, 0.072, 0.144, and 0.288 cm/min, and the columns reached water saturations in the range of 53 to 81%. The infiltration of water into the columns provided unfavorable conditions for colloid attachment to the sediments. Colloids were eluted by the infiltrating water with the peak colloid concentrations in the outflow coinciding with the arrival of the infiltration front. A larger flow rate led to a greater amount of colloids released from the column. The cumulative amount of colloids released was proportional to the column water content established after steady state flow rates were achieved. We used the advection‐dispersion equation with a first‐order colloid release reaction to analyze the experimental data. The colloid release rate coefficient increased with the increase of water content. We calculated forces exerted on colloids, and found that electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, calculated based on the DLVO (Derjaguin‐Landau‐Verwey‐Overbeek) theory, and hydrodynamic forces, were all less important than capillary forces in controlling colloid release. In one experiment, the ionic strength of the infiltration solution was increased, such that colloid attachment was favorable. Nonetheless, colloids were mobilized and eluted with the infiltration front, implying that non‐DLVO forces, such as capillary forces, played a prominent role in colloid mobilization.

Clay‐clast aggregates: A new textural evidence for seismic fault sliding?

To determine the processes responsible for slip‐weakening in clayey gouge zones, rotary‐shear experiments were conducted at seismic slip rates (equivalent to 0.9 and 1.3 m/s) at 0.6 MPa normal stress on a natural clayey gouge for saturated and non‐saturated initial conditions. The mechanical behavior of the simulated faults shows a reproducible slip‐weakening behavior, whatever initial moisture conditions. Examination of gouge obtained at the residual friction stage in saturated and non‐saturated initial conditions allows the definition of two types of microstructures: a foliated type reflecting strain localization, and a non‐foliated type composed of spherical aggregates. Friction experiments demonstrate that liquid‐vapor transition of water within gouge due to frictional heating has a high capacity to explain the formation of spherical aggregates in the first meters of displacement. This result suggests that the occurrence of spherical aggregates in natural clayey fault gouges can constitute a new textural evidence for shallow depth pore water phase transition at seismic slip velocity and consequently for past seismic fault sliding.

Effect of soil wetting conditions on seal formation, runoff, and soil loss in arid and semiarid soils—a review

Soil surface sealing is one of the main causes for low infiltration rate (IR) and high runoff and soil loss under raindrop impact conditions in arid and semiarid regions. Many studies have focused on the effects of soil properties on seal formation under fast wetting conditions. However, in the field, soils can be exposed to different wetting conditions, before an intense rainfall event, which can affect the role of the soil properties on seal formation. The present paper reviews the effects of different initial wetting conditions and their interactions with soil properties on seal formation, IR, runoff, and soil loss in smectitic soils. Fast wetting of soil causes aggregate slaking, which enhances seal formation, runoff, and soil loss under rainfall, mainly in soils with &gt; 40% clay content. An increase in clay content of the soil increases aggregate strength, but at the same time increases the slaking forces. Hence, in soils with low clay content (&lt;40%) and low aggregate stability, raindrop impact alone was sufficient to break down the aggregates and to develop a seal. In contrast, in soils with &gt; 40% clay content and high aggregate stability, slaking plays an important role in aggregate breakdown and seal formation. An increase of raindrop kinetic energy, from 8 to 15.9 kJ/m3, decreased the effect of the slaking forces on seal formation and runoff. It was suggested that the effects of raindrop kinetic energy and of the slaking forces on aggregate disintegration and seal formation are complementary. An increase in soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), from 0.9 to 20.4%, decreased the effect of slaking forces on seal formation and runoff production under rainfall with 15.9 kJ/m3 kinetic energy. Probably, increasing the ESP increased the soil dispersivity, and therefore diminished the effect of the slaking forces on aggregate disintegration and seal formation. Aging (the time since wetting) of soil increased the stability of soil structure, decreased the seal formation, maintained high IR, and diminished soil loss amounts. These effects of soil aging depend on both the prewetting rate of the soil and soil texture.

Simulation of Temperature Distribution in Stored Wheat without Aeration

A neural-deterministic simulation model applied for calculating distributions of temperatures and moisture content in a bed of wheat stored in a steel silo without aeration is presented in the article. The model consists of differential equations of heat and moisture transfer, initial and boundary conditions, and three artificial neural networks used during simulated ambient air conditions. Experiments and computer simulations were carried out in order to determine temperature fields in wheat grain stored in a steel silo for two months. The computer simulations were carried using MATLAB and FEMLAB software. The difference between measured and simulated temperature in grain near the silo wall at a height of 2.5 m from the bottom was less than 3.0°C. On the basis of the analysis performed it was concluded that the temperature distributions obtained with the model were consistent with the measured results obtained for grain stored in a steel silo without aeration.