Chen et al. (2026) Overland Flow Dynamics on a Cracked Soil Slope Under Drying‐Wetting Cycles: An Integrated Hydrological and Infrared Thermographic Study

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Water Resources Research
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-01
• Authors: Ting-ting Chen, Qing Cheng, Qi Zhang, Chao‐Sheng Tang, Yang Lu, Bin Shi
• DOI: 10.1029/2025wr042459

Research Groups

• Department of Earth Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
• Laboratory for Hydrology and Water Resources, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich)

Short Summary

This study investigates the impact of desiccation cracking on overland flow and sediment transport in a laboratory setting. The results show that drying-wetting cycles accelerate moisture loss, promote crack development, and influence runoff generation and sediment yield.

Objective

• Investigate the effects of desiccation cracking on soil erosion and sediment transport under drying-wetting cycles

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Laboratory rainfall simulations on a slope model with dimensions 1 m x 0.5 m
• Temporal Scale: Three drying-wetting cycles, each lasting approximately 24 hours

Methodology and Data

• Models used: None (experimental study)
• Data sources:
  • Soil moisture and suction measurements using sensors at shallow depth (10 cm)
  • Crack patterns quantified through image processing of photographs taken during the experiment
  • Runoff and sediment yields measured using a collection system
  • Infrared thermography applied to capture flow velocity and spatial organization

Main Results

• Drying-wetting cycles accelerated moisture loss, steepened suction gradients, and promoted crack development
• Crack ratio and total crack length increased markedly during the first two cycles but stabilized in the third cycle
• Runoff generation influenced by both antecedent moisture and crack development
• Sediment yield closely followed runoff intensity, peaking in the second cycle due to reduced infiltration and structural weakening

Contributions

• This study provides new insights into the effects of desiccation cracking on overland flow and sediment transport under drying-wetting cycles, filling a gap in existing literature.

Funding

• This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant # NSF-1855463) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (Project # 200021_175983).

Citation

@article{Chen2026Overland,
  author = {Chen, Ting-ting and Cheng, Qing and Zhang, Qi and Tang, Chao‐Sheng and Lu, Yang and Shi, Bin},
  title = {Overland Flow Dynamics on a Cracked Soil Slope Under Drying‐Wetting Cycles: An Integrated Hydrological and Infrared Thermographic Study},
  journal = {Water Resources Research},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2025wr042459},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2025wr042459}
}