Search results for "Clay soil"
showing 10 items of 10 documents
A Plot-scale uncertainty analysis of saturated hydraulic conductivity of a clay soil
2021
Abstract Simulating soil hydrological processes at the plot or field scale requires using spatially representative values of the saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks. Sampling campaigns should yield a reliable mean of Ks with a sustainable workload since measuring Ks at many points is challenging. Uncertainty analysis can be used to determine the lowest number of measurements that yield a mean Ks value with a specified accuracy level. Potential and limitations of this analysis were tested in this investigation for different extents of the sampled area and sampling densities. A clay soil was sampled intensively on two plots (plot area = 44 m2), two dates and using both small (0.15 m in …
Absorption, translocation and metabolism of pyridate in a tolerant crop (Zea mays) and two susceptible weeds (Polygonum lapathifolium L. and Chenopod…
1988
Summary Absorption, translocation and metabolism of 14C-pyridate were compared in tolerant maize. moderately susceptible Polygonum lapathifolium and susceptible Chenopodium album. Foliar absorption was limited in all species, but comparatively higher penetration levels were observed in younger leaves of dicotyledonous species. The absorbed radioactivity was not very mobile and translocation appeared mainly sym-plastic. Herbicide selectivity could not be explained on the basis of absorption and transport. Chenopodium and P. lapathifolium degraded pyridate and formed unstable water-soluble conjugates that easily released a phytotoxic metabolite. By contrast, more stable unidentified water-sol…
Extent and persistence of soil water repellency induced by pines in different geographic regions
2018
The extent (determined by the repellency indices RI and RIc) and persistence (determined by the water drop penetration time, WDPT) of soil water repellency (SWR) induced by pines were assessed in vastly different geographic regions. The actual SWR characteristics were estimated in situ in clay loam soil at Ciavolo, Italy (CiF), sandy soil at Culbin, United Kingdom (CuF), silty clay soil at Javea, Spain (JaF), and sandy soil at Sekule, Slovakia (SeF). For Culbin soil, the potential SWR characteristics were also determined after oven-drying at 60°C (CuD). For two of the three pine species considered, strong (Pinus pinaster at CiF) and severe (Pinus sylvestris at CuD and SeF) SWR conditions we…
Using microtomography, image analysis and flow simulations to characterize soil surface seals
2012
Raindrops that impact on soil surface affect the pore structure and form compact soil surface seals. Damaged pore structure reduces water infiltration which can lead to increased soil erosion. We introduce here methods to characterize the properties of surface seals in a detailed manner. These methods include rainfall simulations, x-ray microtomography, image analysis and pore-scale flow simulations. Methods were tested using clay soil samples, and the results indicate that the sealing process changes several properties of the pore structure.
The Landslide of Agrigento Hill (Sicily, Italy)
2018
This paper illustrated the geological, morphological and hydrogeological studies performed for the analysis and monitoring of the landslide involving the northern side of the hill of Agrigento (335 m a.s.l.) on which the ancient Cathedral was built during the 11th Century. The hill is made of a typical Plio-Pleistocene transgressive succession made of clays (M. Narbone formation), calcarenites, sands and clayey soils (Agrigento formation). The area has been unstable since 1315, involving both the little-welded, very porous and fractured calcarenitic sections (E-W) from Pleistocene and the clay layers interstratified within these sections. Since 1924, from time to time, various typologies of…
Estimating the USLE soil erodibility factor in Sicily, South Italy
2012
The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is used by professionals and technicians to predict soil loss by water erosion and to establish soil conservation measures. One of the key elements of the USLE is the K factor, which is a measure of the soil erodibility. Given the difficulty in collecting sufficient data to adequately measure K, early in the USLE's history the soil erodibility nomograph method was developed to allow estimation of K based on standard soil properties. Since the nomograph approach was developed based on a small number of soils in the United States, it is necessary for other contexts to check the nomograph's ability to predict the soil's true erodibility. Considering that…
The effect of alternating different water qualities on accumulation and leaching of solutes in a Mediterranean cracking soil
2002
The relevance of bypass flow on water flow, solute or pesticide transport is becoming increasingly recognized. Recent investigations proved that soil salinization may be influenced by bypass flow, i.e. the rapid transport of water and solutes via macropores and/or shrinkage cracks to subsoil and groundwater. This paper explores the role of bypass flow in the process of accumulation and leaching of solutes, as well as of sodium, in a Mediterranean cracking soil irrigated with saline/sodic waters. The results of bypass flow experiments performed on undisturbed soil cores showed that leaching of solutes occurred in concomitance with bypass fluxes when a low salinity solution was alternated wit…
Design Procedures for Soil-Lime Stabilization for Road and Railway Embankments. Part 1-Review of Design Methods
2012
AbstractWhen selecting the appropriate materials for constructing road infrastructures, an important way for minimizing both the economical and environmental impact is to make use of lime for treating soils that are not suitable for road or railways construction.Advances in lime stabilization technique allowed the successful use of this technique also for improving the bearing capacity of the subgrade, with noticeable savings on both aggregate and disposal charges.In this paper a review of internationally adopted design methods for soil-lime mixture is presented, in order to compare testing methods and requirements of the adopted criteria, as discussed in Part 2.
Variability of near-surface saturated hydraulic conductivity for the clay soils of a small Sicilian basin
2019
Abstract Proper characterization of saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks, of clay soils in a hillslope or a basin is still a challenge for soil science. In this investigation, the clay soils of the Maganoce (Sicily, Italy) basin were sampled at 19 sampling sites by the BEST procedure of soil hydraulic characterization. More OM implied less compact conditions (decreasing dry soil bulk density; coefficient of determination, R2 = 0.67), more stability to water of the soil aggregates (increasing water stable aggregates; R2 = 0.83) and, consequently, higher Ks values (R2 = 0.54). Variability of Ks was lower in the steeper zones of the basin than in the flatter ones. A comparison with the Ks data…
Characterization of gas flow through low-permeability claystone: laboratory experiments and two-phase flow analyses
2014
For the characterization of gas migration through a low-permeability clay host rock for deep underground repositories, a comprehensive understanding of the relevant phenomena of gas and fluid flow through low-permeability clay is required. The National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste (Nagra) in Switzerland has developed a comprehensive programme to characterize gas flow in low-permeability Opalinus Clay through laboratory tests and detailed numerical analyses for developing appropriate constitutive models. Laboratory tests were performed on cores by two different laboratories, the Laboratory for Soil Mechanics at EPFL and the Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geos…