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2020 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

13. Tunnel Flow and Erosion Processes in an Experimental Catchment

Authors : Xiangzhou Xu, Tongxin Zhu, Hongwu Zhang, Lu Gao

Published in: Experimental Erosion

Publisher: Springer Singapore

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Abstract

Soil pipes and tunnels have been reported in a wide range of climatic conditions in the world, yet their hydrological and sediment processes have been much understudied in comparison with surface flows. In this chapter, storm flows and sediment processes were monitored at 6 tunnel systems in an experimental catchment in the Loess Plateau. The results indicate that all the tunnel flow was derived from overland flow entering via inlets. However, both flow discharges and sediment concentrations were highly erratic due to the instability of tunnel systems. Tunnels could be clogged by collapse inside, which reopened in subsequent events. An intensive storm could develop new inlet(s), which either joined the existing tunnel system or started a new one. Partial damming within the tunnel systems also frequently occurred. This chapter showed that at least 43% of water flows and 57% of sediments were routed via tunnels in the experimental catchment.

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previous chapter Effects of Gravity Erosion on Particle Size Distribution of Suspended Sediment

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Title: Tunnel Flow and Erosion Processes in an Experimental Catchment
Authors: Xiangzhou Xu
Tongxin Zhu
Hongwu Zhang
Lu Gao
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Book: Experimental Erosion
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-3800-1

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-15-3801-8

Copyright Year: 2020
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-3801-8_13