Experimental study on the development of collapse of overhanging layers of gully in Yuanmou Valley, China

The impact of flow discharge on the hydraulic characteristics of headcut erosion processes in the gully region of the Loess Plateau

“…This trend was caused by the high flow discharge generating more overland flow, which then influenced the flow hydraulic characteristics by increasing the local turbulence (Guy, Dickinson, & Rudra, 1987). On the one hand, the increasing flow discharge increased the depth of the scour hole on the gully head, thus increasing the collapse frequency of the overhanging layers of the gully heads (Chen et al, 2013;Gordon, Bennett, Wells, & Alonso, 2007) and increasing the undercut sediment. The runoff that dropped from the border of the catchment area was divided into the wall pressing flow and the jet flow (Flores-Cervantes, Istanbulluoglu, & Bras, 2006).…”

“…The runoff that dropped from the border of the catchment area was divided into the wall pressing flow and the jet flow (Flores-Cervantes, Istanbulluoglu, & Bras, 2006). On the one hand, the increasing flow discharge increased the depth of the scour hole on the gully head, thus increasing the collapse frequency of the overhanging layers of the gully heads (Chen et al, 2013;Gordon, Bennett, Wells, & Alonso, 2007) and increasing the undercut sediment. On the other hand, the increasing jet flow energy also increased the depth of the plunge pool (Bennett, 1999).…”

Main types of soil mass failure and characteristics of their impact factors in the Yuanmou Valley, China

“…Mass failures of steep gully sidewalls are a primary mechanism of sidewall retreat (Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2004). Mass failures due to undercutting in a plunge pool also caused headcut migration (Chen et al, 2013;Stein and LaTray, 2002). Mass failures not only accelerated the gully enlargement (Bull and Kirkby, 1997;Thomas et al, 2009), but also resulted in sediment production, sediment deposition in channels, and nutrient loading in higher order streams (Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2003;Poesen et al, 2002;Vandekerckhove et al, 2003).…”

Impacts of headcut height on flow energy, sediment yield and surface landform during bank gully erosion processes in the Yuanmou Dry‐hot Valley region, southwest China

“…The frequent erosive precipitation events in the rainy season and special lithological conditions are the major causes of the well‐developed gullies in this region (Zhong, ). An experimental programme supported by the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has obtained some significant observations for gully erosion research in recent years (Chen et al ., , ; Dong et al ., , ; Su et al ., , , ; Yang et al ., , ; Zhang et al ., , ).…”

“…Chen et al . (, ) studied the main soil mass failure types, especially gully head collapse process, and found that the occurrence of the collapse of overhanging layers of gully heads attributed to the development of a scour hole in the headwall. All of these studies have led to great progress in gully headward erosion research in the Dry‐hot Valley region.…”