Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
In soil layers where clays are saturated with sodium ions ("sodic soils"), soil can break down very easily into fine particles and wash away. This can lead to a variety of soil and water quality problems, including: large soil losses by gully erosion and tunnel erosion; Soil structural degradation, clogging and sealing where dispersed particles ...
There are two primary mechanisms of stream bank erosion: fluvial erosion and mass failure. Fluvial erosion is the direct removal of soil particles by flowing water. The rate of fluvial erosion is determined both by the force of the flowing water (e.g. faster flow equals more force) and the resistance of the bank material to erosion (e.g. clay is generally more resistant to erosion than sand).
Soil containing high levels of organic materials are often more resistant to erosion, because the organic materials coagulate soil colloids and create a stronger, more stable soil structure. [45] The amount of water present in the soil before the precipitation also plays an important role, because it sets limits on the amount of water that can ...
Due to precipitation, seasonal changes in Water content can lead to soil sloughing. [7] Soil sloughing is also an indicator of active soil movement and frequently requires action to reduce or prevent bank and slope failure. Soil water content is highly related to the mass erosion that leads to soil sloughing or even slopes failure. [7]
The distance these soil particles travel can be as much as 0.6 m (2.0 ft) vertically and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) horizontally on level ground. If the soil is saturated, or if the rainfall rate is greater than the rate at which water can infiltrate into the soil, surface runoff occurs.
The maximum rate at that water can enter soil in a given condition is the infiltration capacity. If the arrival of the water at the soil surface is less than the infiltration capacity, it is sometimes analyzed using hydrology transport models, mathematical models that consider infiltration, runoff, and channel flow to predict river flow rates ...
The latter covers reactions to water, atmospheric gases and biologically produced chemicals with rocks and soils. Water is the principal agent behind both kinds, [1] though atmospheric oxygen and carbon dioxide and the activities of biological organisms are also important. [2] Biological chemical weathering is also called biological weathering. [3]
Soil regeneration is the reformation of degraded soil through biological, chemical, and or physical processes. [ 2 ] When productivity declined in the low-clay soils of northern Thailand, farmers initially responded by adding organic matter from termite mounds , but this was unsustainable in the long-term.