Spatial distribution of pipe collapses in Goodwin Creek Watershed, Mississippi

Abstract

The internal erosion of soil pipes can induce pipe collapses that affect soil erosion processes and landform evolution. The objective of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of pipe collapses in agricultural fields of Goodwin Creek watershed. Ground survey was carried out to detect pipe collapses, and the location, size and surface elevation was measured with differential GPS. A total of 143 of the 145 pipe collapses were found in cropland, and the density was approximately 0.58 collapses per hectare. The spatial distribution of pipe collapses was not uniform as pipe collapses were concentrated in the flat alluvial plains where the land use was dominated by cropland. One of the four parcels had 90% of the pipe collapses with a density of 7.7 collapses per hectare. The mean depth, area and volume of these pipe collapses were 0.12 m, 0.34 m2 and 0.02 m3, respectively, and all these properties exhibited a skewed distribution. The drainage area–slope gradient equation, which has been widely used for erosion phenomenon prediction, did not represent pipe collapses in this study as the coefficient of determination was <0.01. This is clear evidence that subsurface flow is not represented by surface topographic characteristics. The pipe collapses were found to intercept runoff, thereby reducing the slope length factor by 6% and the drainage area by 7%. Both of these factors can reduce the sheet and rill erosion; however, the increased subsurface flow could enhance ephemeral gully erosion. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Soil pipe collapses in a loess pasture of Goodwin Creek watershed, Mississippi: role of soil properties and past land use

“…The parcel with the highest concentration of pipe collapses observed by Zhang and Wilson () contained 7.7 pipe collapses ha −1 which was orders of magnitude higher than the 0.2 collapses ha −1 observed by Verachtert et al . () yet both were substantially lower than the concentration of pipe collapse features observed in these loess pastures.…”

“…pipe collapse features. Zhang and Wilson () observed 145 pipe collapse features in the flat alluvial plains adjacent to Goodwin Creek in Mississippi with a mean depth, area and volume of 0.12 m, 0.34 m 2 , and 0.02 m 3 , respectively. Ninety percent of the pipe collapses were in one parcel which had 7.7 collapse features ha −1 .…”

Piping dynamics in mid‐altitude mountains under a temperate climate: Bieszczady Mountains, eastern Carpathians

“…The small erosion rate for Goodwin Creek in the United States is probably connected with the fact that the research area is plain (alluvial plain). Moreover, the estimates implied only pipe collapses, without the measurements of whole pipes (Zhang and Wilson, ). Also, in the loess uplands in Poland (Rodzik et al, ), the erosion rate is smaller (0.96 t ha −1 yr −1 ), which may be also the effect of an indirect type of measurement (the differences between total erosion and erosion in the catchment and in the gully bottom).…”

“…Until now the geomorphological role of overland flow has been quantified and widely described in the literature in contrast to subsurface flow, whose role is still undervalued or at least underestimated in sediment transport and hillslope development (Bryan and Jones, ; Bryan, ; Jones, ). Piping as subsurface erosion caused by water flowing under the surface (Boucher, ; Jones, , ) leads to the formation of pipes (underground channels), which are only visible at the surface when a pipe roof collapses (Czeppe, ; Jones, ; Verachtert et al, , ; Zhang and Wilson, ; Bernatek, ; Wilson et al, ; Bernatek‐Jakiel et al, ). After their collapse, pipes may develop into gullies.…”

Pipeflow response in loess‐derived soils to precipitation and groundwater table fluctuations in a temperate humid climate

“…The occurrence of pipeflow is controlled by soil and climate characteristics (e.g., Jones, ; Faulkner, ; Verachtert et al, ; Zhang and Wilson, ; Leslie et al, ; Bernatek‐Jakiel et al, ). Furthermore, it is an important process in the hydrological response of hillslopes and catchments that can significantly contribute to the downslope transport of nutrients and sediments towards the stream (e.g., Bryan and Jones, ; Zhu et al, ; Sayer et al, ; Jones, ; Verachtert et al, ).…”