Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39915662›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

Influence of tension cracks on moisture infiltration in loess slopes under high-intensity rainfall conditions.

Xuancheng Ren, Weifeng Sun, Hengxing Lan, Han Bao, Langping Li, Shijie Liu, Changgen Yan, Xiaochan Wang, Zhouchen Li, Chaoyang Tian

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xuancheng RenSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China.
Weifeng SunSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China. sunweifeng@chd.edu.cn.
Hengxing LanSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China. lanhx@igsnrr.ac.cn.
Han BaoSchool of Highway, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710064, China.
Langping LiState Key Laboratory of Resources and Environmental Information System, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
Shijie LiuSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China.
Changgen YanSchool of Highway, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710064, China.
Xiaochan WangSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China.
Zhouchen LiSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China.
Chaoyang TianSchool of Geological Engineering and Geomatics, Chang'an University, Xi'an, 710054, China.

Funding

Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, CHD 300102262901Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, CHD 300102264902National Natural Science Foundation of China 41927806National Natural Science Foundation of China 42307217Research Program of Xinjiang Awua Highway Development Co., Ltd AWAGSGCJS-23-ZXFWHT-003Scientific Innovation Practice Project of Postgraduates of Chang'an University 300103724017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Loess slopes with steep gradients are particularly prone to vertical tension cracks at the crest, resulting from unloading and other factors. These cracks significantly affect the spatiotemporal distribution of moisture infiltration during rainfall, potentially leading to slope instability. This study investigates the impact of crest-tension cracks on moisture infiltration in loess slopes under extreme rainfall conditions, focusing on crack position, depth, and width. Soil moisture content and the dynamics of wetting fronts were monitored to assess how these tension cracks influence infiltration patterns. The results indicate that tension cracks at the slope crest act as preferential infiltration pathways, causing water retention within the cracks and forming a "U-shaped" preferential infiltration zone. The extent of this "U-shaped" wetting front is influenced by the crack's width, depth, and proximity to the slope shoulder; wider, deeper cracks closer to the shoulder result in a more pronounced wetting front. Over time, as rainfall persists, the influence of preferential infiltration decreases, and the infiltration patterns of slopes with crest cracks begin to resemble those of homogeneous slopes. In both cases, wetting fronts exhibit intersecting patterns: one parallel to the slope crest and the other parallel to the slope surface. During the initial stages of rainfall, the migration speed of wetting fronts in slopes with crest-tension cracks was significantly higher than in homogeneous slopes. However, after prolonged rainfall, the migration speeds of wetting fronts in both scenarios converged. A strong linear correlation was observed between the average migration depth of the horizontal wetting front at the slope crest and the parallel wetting front on the slope surface, for both slope types. These findings deepen our understanding of moisture migration dynamics in loess slopes with crest-tension cracks, providing insights for developing effective slope hazard mitigation strategies.

Indexed as

Extreme rainfallLoess slopeModel testTensile crackWetting front

Identifiers

PMID39915662
PMCPMC11802852

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