Estimation of soil cracking and the effect on surface runoff in a Texas Blackland Prairie watershed

Arnold, J. G.; Potter, K. N.; King, Kevin W.; Allen, Peter M.

doi:10.1002/hyp.5609

Cited by 100 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The smaller runoff from the vertisols was attributed to preferential infiltration of local runoff into the soil cracks. Similar observations of minimal drainage and rapid recharge of shallow groundwater (∼ 3 m) below a vertisol-shale watershed in Texas following rainstorms were reported by Allen et al (2005) and Arnold et al (2005). This process was most dominant during the first rainstorms when the cracks were fully developed (at the end of the dry season).…”

Section: Preferential Flow Of Water In Vertisols -Evidence From the Lsupporting

confidence: 79%

Soil–aquifer phenomena affecting groundwater under vertisols: a review

Kurtzman

Baram

Dahan

2016

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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Abstract. Vertisols are cracking clayey soils that (i) usually form in alluvial lowlands where, normally, groundwater pools into aquifers; (ii) have different types of voids (due to cracking), which make flow and transport of water, solutes and gas complex; and (iii) are regarded as fertile soils in many areas. The combination of these characteristics results in the unique soil-aquifer phenomena that are highlighted and summarized in this review. The review is divided into the following four sections: (1) soil cracks as preferential pathways for water and contaminants: in this section lysimeter-to basin-scale observations that show the significance of cracks as preferential-flow paths in vertisols, which bypass matrix blocks in the unsaturated zone, are summarized. Relatively fresh-water recharge and groundwater contamination from these fluxes and their modeling are reviewed; (2) soil cracks as deep evaporators and unsaturated-zone salinity: deep sediment samples under uncultivated vertisols in semiarid regions reveal a dry (immobile), saline matrix, partly due to enhanced evaporation through soil cracks. Observations of this phenomenon are compiled in this section and the mechanism of evapoconcentration due to air flow in the cracks is discussed; (3) impact of cultivation on flushing of the unsaturated zone and aquifer salinization: the third section examines studies reporting that land-use change of vertisols from native land to cropland promotes greater fluxes through the saline unsaturated-zone matrix, eventually flushing salts to the aquifer. Different degrees of salt flushing are assessed as well as aquifer salinization on different scales, and a comparison is made with aquifers under other soils; (4) relatively little nitrate contamination in aquifers under vertisols: in this section we turn the light on observations showing that aquifers under cultivated vertisols are somewhat resistant to groundwater contamination by nitrate (the major agriculturally related groundwater problem). Denitrification is probably the main mechanism supporting this resistance, whereas a certain degree of anion-exchange capacity may have a retarding effect as well.

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Section: Preferential Flow Of Water In Vertisols -Evidence From the Lsupporting

confidence: 79%

Soil–aquifer phenomena affecting groundwater under vertisols: a review

Kurtzman

Baram

Dahan

2016

Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.

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“…When shrink-swell soils dry, cracks are formed, and these cracks facilitate rapid transport of surface water into the sub-soil through preferential flow. Furthermore, rapid transport of surface water to the sub-soil reduces runoff and enhances flow of chemicals to sub-soils and ground waters [3][4][5]. Hence, the frequency, size and rate of crack development influence the transport of water, nutrients and gases in the soil profile and plant growth processes in Vertisols [3,4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, rapid transport of surface water to the sub-soil reduces runoff and enhances flow of chemicals to sub-soils and ground waters [3][4][5]. Hence, the frequency, size and rate of crack development influence the transport of water, nutrients and gases in the soil profile and plant growth processes in Vertisols [3,4]. Therefore, measurement of soil cracks is important to monitor not only surface and sub-surface flow of water, but also to monitor flow of gases in the soil-atmosphere continuum, and to understand how roots grow and their penetration pattern in the soil.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Technical Note: Orientation of Cracks and Hydrology in a Shrink-Swell Soil

Dinka¹,

Lascano²

2012

OJSS

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Crack orientations are an important soil physical property that affects water flow, particularly in vertic soils. However, the spatial and temporal variability of crack orientations across different land uses and gilgai features is not welldocumented and addressed in hydrology models. Thus; there is a need to quantify crack orientations for different land uses and to incorporate their spatial and temporal dynamics into hydrological models. Our objectives were to document the spatial variability of cracks orientations across two land uses and to demonstrate the potential importance of crack orientation related to the hydrology of Vertisols. The exploratory field measurements of the spatial distribution of crack orientations across two Vertisol catenae of two land uses and gilgai features are presented. The field survey showed the complexity of crack geometry in a field, the potential impact of crack orientation on Vertisol hydrology and the challenges associated with measurement of crack orientations.

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“…Firstly, dry periods between torrential rainfall events play an important role in geomorphological, hydrological, and ecological processes, particularly in relation to soil moisture conditions (Baver, 1956;Hillel, 1971). Secondly, soil moisture controls the water available for plant growth, and influences soil characteristics and processes including aggregate stability and soil degradation (Mbagwu and Bazzoffi, 1988;Caron et al, 1992;Lavee et al, 1996Lavee et al, , 1998Lado et al, 2004), runoff and water erosion (Le Bissonnais and Singer, 1992;Kuhn and Bryan, 2004;Arnold et al, 2005), aeolian erosion (Fécan et al, 1999), the generation of flows (Sittner et al, 1969;Sidle et al, 1995), soil biological activity (Li and Sarah, 2003;Belnap et al, 2004), and the evolution of vegetation communities (Kutiel and Lavee, 1999). There have been numerous studies showing the varied responses of ecogeomorphological systems along pluviometric gradients, which can be summarized from a functional point of view as an impoverishment of the soilwater-plant relationship in areas receiving less rainfall (Lavee et al, 1998;Ceballos et al, 2004;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of dry periods along a pluviometric gradient in Mediterranean southern Spain

Ruíz-Sinoga

García-Marín

Gabarrón-Galeote

et al. 2011

Intl Journal of Climatology

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ABSTRACT:In southern Spain a longitudinal pluviometric gradient occurs under Mediterranean climatic conditions in an area that has at least two months of drought each year and very irregular rainfall. From the Strait of Gibraltar to the Cabo de Gata in Almería there is a reduction of more than 1,000 mm year −1 in the mean annual rainfall. Analysis of the frequency and intensity of drought periods is necessary in regions where water resources are scarce and the ecosystem is highly dependent on water availability. Drought periods in the region described above were analysed using the DDSLR (Dry Days Since Last Rain) index to i) characterize trends in number of dry days and the amount of rainfall along the pluviometric gradient, ii) assess how the DDSLR index changes along the gradient from semiarid to humid Mediterranean regions, and iii) contribute to studies addressing the importance of climatic gradients in relation to the dynamics of various ecosystems. The DDSLR method enables calculation of the probability of the occurrence of dry days (days without rain) at any time of the year, assessment of the risk of water deficits for vegetation during plant growth periods, and evaluation of the temporal variability of hydrological/geomorphological processes that depend on soil moisture throughout the year. The results showed that there is a critical period of rainfall scarcity during September and October, which has implications for the availability of soil water resources for vegetation.In short-term, the major problems are predicted for the Spanish Southern Mediterranean due to the increasing irregularity in precipitations: the number of days with no rains and drought periods are increased, but also a significant increment in the probabilities of extreme rainfalls exceeding 30 mm day −1 .

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Estimation of soil cracking and the effect on surface runoff in a Texas Blackland Prairie watershed

Cited by 100 publications

References 32 publications

Soil–aquifer phenomena affecting groundwater under vertisols: a review

Soil–aquifer phenomena affecting groundwater under vertisols: a review

A Technical Note: Orientation of Cracks and Hydrology in a Shrink-Swell Soil

Analysis of dry periods along a pluviometric gradient in Mediterranean southern Spain

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