Investigating Effect of Sediment Load and Soil Texture on Flow Hydraulic characteristics of a Simulated Rill Erosion

Rills are often the major area and source of runoff and sediment in hillslopes. The hydraulic characteristics of flow in the rills can be affected by type and amount of sediment. Knowledge on the flow hydraulic characteristics is essential to find the major mechanism of rill development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of type and amount of sediment on the rill hydraulic characteristics. Laboratory experiments were carried out in a flume with 4m× 0.4 m×0.3m dimensions located at 9% slope steepness under 90 mm h-1 rainfall intensity which was applied on three soil textures of loam, loamy sand and sandy clay loam with four replications. Reynolds number, Froude number, flow depth, Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficient, shear stress and stream power were determined during the rill erosion process. The results showed that Reynolds number and Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficient increased as the sediment load increased in the rills. Froude number decreased as sediment load increased which was attributed with decreasing flow velocity. Shear stress and stream power and flow depth increased with increasing the eroded sediment. Flow depth increased with incease of sediment load, varying from 0.041 to 1mm in loam soil, 0.07 to 1.3 mm in loamy sand soil and 0.06 to 0.7 mm in sandy clay loam soil. Coefficient of determination between sediment load and all hydraulic characteristics were higher than 90% for loam and loamy sand and higher than 60% for sandy clay loam. This study revealed that significant interaction was between sediment load and hydraulic characteristics of flow in the rills.