Analysis of the Hydraulic Properties of Undisturbed Layered Loess in Northwest China

• Main Authors: Qinghua Guo, Fuchu Dai, Zhiqiang Zhao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
• Series: Water
• Subjects: undisturbed layered loess; soil hydraulic property; soil column infiltration experiment; infiltration model
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/11/7/1379

Extensive agricultural irrigation in the loess region of Northwest China has seriously damaged the local hydrogeological environment. To properly understand the hydrological processes and the hydraulic properties of the layered soil, the field soil column irrigation test, laboratory soil column infiltration test, and undisturbed soil sample hydraulic experiments were carried out. The results showed that the proposed infiltration model can continuously simulate the infiltration process of the loess−palaeosol sequence well. The layered structure may form a temporary groundwater table at the interface of the two different soils under irrigation conditions. This provides a scientific basis for proposing reasonable irrigation measures.