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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Watershed Physical Processes Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #335695
Title: Sediment detachment and transport processes associated with internal erosion of soil pipes

Author
item Wilson, Glenn
item Wells, Robert - Rob
item Kuhnle, Roger
item FOX, GAREY - North Carolina State University
item NIEBER, JOHN - University Of Minnesota

Submitted to: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/13/2017
Publication Date: 1/1/2018
Citation: Wilson, G.V., Wells, R.R., Kuhnle, R.A., Fox, G.A., Nieber, J. 2018. Sediment detachment and transport processes associated with internal erosion of soil pipes. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 43:45-63.

Interpretive Summary: Water flow through the soil subsurface can be an important process in gully erosion by decreasing the soil cohesion and erosion resistance as the soil water content or pressure increases. The development of perched water tables in layered soils fosters lateral flow that can result in seepage at the surface of hillslopes and/or formation of soil pipes by erosion of the inside of the large pores called soil pipes. Seepage enhances the flow into and through these soil pipes and also affects the forces acting on soil particles which increases particle detachment and enhanced sediment transport. Continued internal erosion of soil pipes can lead to gullies when soil pipes collapse as well as causing many other catastrophic mass failures such as levee and dam failures, streambank failures, and landslides. However, the processes involved in detachment of soil particles and aggregates from soil pipe walls and the transport processes involved inside soil pipes have not been well studied or documented. This paper reviews the limited research on sediment detachment and transport in soil pipes and applies the knowledge learned from the much more extensive studies conducted on sediment transport processes in streams and industrial pipes to the geologic and hydrologic conditions of soil pipes. Knowledge gaps are identified and recommendations are made for future research on sediment detachment and transport in soil pipes.

Technical Abstract: Subsurface flow can be an important process in gully erosion through its impact on decreasing soil cohesion and erosion resistance as soil water content or pressure increases and more directly by the effects of seepage forces on particle detachment and piping. The development of perched water tables in duplex soils fosters lateral flow that can result in seepage at the surface of hillslopes and/or formation of soil pipes by internal erosion of lateral preferential flow paths. Continued internal erosion of soil pipes can lead to gullies, dam and levee failures. However, the processes involved in particle and aggregate detachment from soil pipe walls and transport processes within soil pipes have not been well studied or documented. This paper reviews the limited research on sediment detachment and transport in macropores and soil pipes and applies the knowledge learned from the much more extensive studies conducted on streams and industrial pipes to hydrogeologic conditions of soil pipes. Knowledge gaps are identified and recommendations are made for future research on sediment detachment and transport in soil pipes.