Characterizing the morphology of gully cross-sections based on PCA: A case of Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley

A cross-section of a gully (GC) is important not only for computing the volume and rate of erosion of the gully but also for understanding the relationship of the gullying process, landforms, land use and erosional features. To effectively characterize the accurate morphology of GCs and to explain their statistical regularity, this study proposes 26 morphological parameters for describing the cross-sections of permanent gullies. We surveyed 456 GCs with a laser distance meter located at the mouth, middle and head of 152 gullies in the Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley of China, mapped them with CASS software, and calculated the morphologic parameters. Based on principal component analysis (PCA), the morphological characteristics can be notably expressed by four principal components and fewer parameters with heavier load information. The first principal component (PC) reflected the dimensions of GCs, with the key parameters of width, depth, and area of the cross-section. Over 94% of the depth of the left side (d(1)), the top width (w(t)) and the area (s) were in the range of 0-12 m, 3-27 m, and 0-200 m(2), respectively. The second PC indicated the degree of the gully's asymmetry in terms of the parameter of asymmetry ratio of width. There are 201 GCs of right-deflection and 184 of left-deflection. The third PC expressed the degree of erosion in terms of erosiveness and shape. There are 77 V-shaped, 25 U-shaped, and 354 intermediate shaped gullies. The percentage of U-shaped cross-sections is noticeably higher at the gully head than at the gully mouth and middle. The fourth PC reflects the erosional pattern difference. The value of the width/depth ratio was distributed and varied greatly within the range of 0.9210.69 with an average value of 3.33. These key parameters differed at different locations and sites. The shape of GCs differs at different stages of development. Weathering crusts, soil properties, and vegetation cover are important for controlling the morphology of GCs in the Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley. This study will not only help to improve the content of gully morphology, but will also contribute to understanding the controlling factors and evolution mechanism of gullies. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.