Rainfall‐Induced Soil Surface Sealing: A Critical Review of Observations, Conceptual Models, and Solutions

Abstract

Rainfall‐induced soil surface sealing can have severe agricultural, hydrological, and environmental effects. Seal formation is a complex phenomenon dominated by a wide variety of factors involving soil properties, rainfall characteristics, and flow conditions. It has been studied through extensive experimental investigations as well as simulation models. This study reviews some of the main issues, in terms of morphology, phenomenology, and both conceptual and empirical modeling approaches to improve our perception of the phenomenon and our ability to simulate its effects on flow processes. The effects of different factors on infiltration during seal formation and in sealed soil profiles are highlighted, including seal representation, soil and rainfall properties, and field heterogeneity. New research opportunities toward a generalized formulation of the processes involved in soil sealing and a reliable quantitative prediction of its effects on flow processes are identified. These are related mainly to the ability to quantify and predict the relationships between soil hydraulic properties and physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect the soil resistance to destruction.

Regional patterns of postwildfire streamflow response in the Western United States: The importance of scale‐specific connectivity

“…In contrast with the buffer effect of the ash layer, postfire soil surface sealing caused by direct raindrop impact can promote run‐off generation and responds rapidly to postfire rainfall (DeBano, ; Martin & Moody, ). Martin and Moody () suggested that soil surface sealing can be attributed to precipitation and run‐off, the former contributing to the development of structural crusts (Assouline, ) and the latter to depositional crusts (Onda, Dietrich, & Booker, ). Increased postfire run‐off and sediment yields in the Colorado Front Range were mainly caused by soil surface sealing rather than by changes in soil water repellency (Larsen et al .…”

Rainfall intensity and slope gradient effects on sediment losses and splash from a saline–sodic soil under coastal reclamation

“…Variations in infiltration rate, soil water content, water suction, bulk density and surface roughness are all affected by raindrop impact (Fohrer et al, 1999), and this is mainly due to the formation of a surface seal that is primarily created by raindrop impacts (Assouline, 2004;Bradford et al, 1987;Mualem et al, 1993). Many studies have investigated the effects of surface seal induced variations on infiltration, runoff and erosion processes (Bradford et al, 1987;Mualem et al, 1993;Foley and Silburn, 2002;Assouline, 2004).…”

The dual role of soil crusts in desertification

“…Physical soil crusts form either due to consolidation of soil material under rain impacts (structural crusts) or from the redistribution and accumulation of fine material (silica or salts) during surface runoff processes (depositional or erosion crusts) [ Ries and Hirt , ]. Because physical crusts reduce infiltration capacity locally, they contribute to increasing runoff production during moderate to heavy rainfall events [ Assouline , ; Assouline et al ., ; Belnap , ; Fearnehough et al ., ; Savenije , ; Thompson et al ., ]. In hot, arid drylands, biological soil crusts can have a similar effect, although in cooler deserts, biological crusts are also observed to enhance infiltration at the expense of surface runoff production [ Belnap , ; Issa et al ., ; Sole et al ., ; Yair et al ., ].…”