Runoff characteristics and soil loss mechanism in the weathered granite area under simulated rainfall

Abstract

Soils developed from the parent materials of highly weathered granite are particularly susceptible to soil erosion. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct in-depth research on runoff characteristics and soil loss mechanisms in weathered granite areas. Using the weathered granite area in the hilly region of southeastern China as the research object, we conducted indoor artificial rainfall simulation experiments involving three slope steepnesses (SSs), 8◦, 15◦, and 25◦, and five rainfall intensities (RIs), 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 mm/min. The results showed that sediment load (SL) has positively linear relationships with mean runoff velocity (V), Reynolds number (Re), Froude number (Fr), shear stress (τ), and stream power (w). The eroded sediment was principally composed of silt and clay that accounted for 65.41–73.41% of the total SL. There was a boundary point at 0.02 mm for the particle size distribution (PSD) of the eroded sediment. The enrichment ratio (Er) of sand-grained particles (0.02–2 mm) ranged from approximately 0.45 to 0.65, while the Er of fine-grained particles (<0.02 mm) ranged from approximately 1.37 to 1.80. These results increase our understanding of the relationships among RI, SS, runoff, and soil losses from weathered granite hillslopes, particularly the relationships between different hydraulic parameters and sediment size characteristics.