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Quantitative analysis of relationships between crack characteristics and properties of soda-saline soils in Songnen Plain, China

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Abstract

The Songnen Plain has a typical soda-saline soil, which often shrinks and cracks under natural conditions during water evaporation. This study aims to analyze the relationships between the crack characteristics and the soil properties of soda-saline soils quantitatively, and attempts to establish prediction models for the main soil properties of soda-saline soils based on the results. In order to achieve these objectives, a desiccation cracking test was conducted using 17 soil specimens with different salinity levels under controlled laboratory conditions. Correlation analysis was then performed between the crack characteristics and the soil properties. The results indicate that the crack characteristics can well represent the surface appearances of cracked soils, they also can well distinguish the salinity levels of soda-saline soils while the clay contents and mineralogical compositions of soils are stable. Among the crack characteristics, crack length has the best relationships with the salinity levels of soda-saline soils. Specifically, the crack length has high correlation (R 2 > 0.87) with the electrical conductivity (EC), Na+, CO3 2– and the salinity, it also has reasonable relationship (R 2 > 0.68) with HCO –3 , this indicates crack length can be well used for the prediction of these properties of soda-saline soils.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China

    Jianhua Ren, Xiaojie Li & Kai Zhao

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Jianhua Ren

  3. Changchun Jingyuetan Remote Sensing Experiment Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130102, China

    Xiaojie Li & Kai Zhao

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  1. Jianhua Ren
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  2. Xiaojie Li
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  3. Kai Zhao
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Correspondence to Xiaojie Li.

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Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41201335)

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Ren, J., Li, X. & Zhao, K. Quantitative analysis of relationships between crack characteristics and properties of soda-saline soils in Songnen Plain, China. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 25, 591–601 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-015-0779-5

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