Rare earth oxide tracking coupled with 3D soil surface modelling: an opportunity to study small-scale soil redistribution

• Published in: Journal of soils and sediments Vol. 20; no. 5; pp. 2405 - 2417
• Main Authors: Szabó, Judit Alexandra, Király, Csilla, Karlik, Máté, Tóth, Adrienn, Szalai, Zoltán, Jakab, Gergely
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.05.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Computer simulation; Direction; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth crust; Electron microscopy; Environment; Environmental Physics; Feasibility studies; Image reconstruction; Leaching; Mathematical models; Microtopography; Modelling; Praseodymium oxide; Rain; Rainfall; Rare earth oxides; Runoff; Scanning electron microscopy; Sec 4 • Ecotoxicology • Research Article; Simulation; Slopes; Soil; Soil analysis; Soil erosion; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil surfaces; Soils; Three dimensional models; Tracers; Tracking; Erosion tracking; Soil erosion; Rear earth oxide; Soil redistribution
• ISSN: 1439-0108; 1614-7480
• DOI: 10.1007/s11368-020-02582-7

Purpose Small-scale runoff and soil redistribution processes are important factors in rainfall simulation studies. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to examine the feasibility of rare earth oxide (REO) tracking combined with 3D surface modelling and soil crust analysis by scanning electron microscopy. Materials and methods Four 40 mmh −1 rainfall simulations (divided into two blocks) were conducted on a Luvisol sample at 9% slope steepness. In a block, two successive simulations were run on a tilled, and then, on a crusted surface. Before the first rainfall simulation of a block, the tilled surface was prepared by hoeing and application of four REO tracers (Pr 6 O 11 Sm 2 O 3 , Ho 2 O 3 and Yb 2 O 3 ) to the freshly tilled surface. REOs divided the parcel into two back, and two front sub-parcels. The REO runoff content was measured by XRF, while the redistributed REOs were measured by SEM on polished crust samples taken after the second experiment in each block. Additionally, before and after 3D models of the surface were created for determining runoff direction and redistribution pattern. Results and discussion According to the REO content of the soil loss samples, the soil washed down from the front sub-parcels, while back parcels started contributing to soil loss only during the second block experiments. The surface microtopography changed between the experiments. The runoff path from the back sub-parcels headed to one side of the parcel. This strong, cross-side runoff pattern explained the lack of the back sub-parcel REOs in the soil loss. Meanwhile, in the crust samples, several forms of the redistribution were identified. The REOs of the back sub-parcels were found in the samples that were collected in runoff paths, and the leaching pattern became traceable with REOs. Moreover, we were able to reconstruct the original surface easily on SEM images. Conclusions Small-scale redistribution and the role of the microtopography of the surface should be considered as an erosional factor in erosion studies in a more detailed way. Behaviour of the REO as a soil sediment tracer has great potential, although questions remain. REO tracing applied with runoff direction modelling and SEM analysis of soil crust samples was suitable to monitor the runoff path, and explain the soil redistribution pattern horizontally and vertically.