INFLUENCE OF MORPHOMETRIC CHARACTERISTICS OF GULLIES ON THE RATE OF THEIR GROWTH IN THE TERRITORY OF UDMURTIA

Abstract

The results of the correlation analysis of the influence of the width and depth of the head ledge of gullies on the rate of their annual growth in the territory of the Udmurt Republic are presented. The data were obtained on the basis of monitoring 168 heads of various types of gullies for the period from 1998 to 2020, located in different landscape and geomorphological conditions of the republic. The table shows statistical data of morphometric indicators for 5 types of gullies. The graphs show the variations in the average annual values of the depth of the head ledge of all ravines and their width over the period under review. A gradual decrease in the depth of the head ledges and a general positive trend in their width have been established, which is particularly evident in the last 5 years of observations. The correlation analysis showed that there is a fairly reliable correlation between the average depth and the average rate of linear growth of gullies (r=0,570). The greatest relationship with the analyzed indicator is characteristic of the linear growth of bottom gullies (r=0,752), while the second place was taken by the vertex gullies (r=0,688). A fairly close relationship with the depth of the head ledge was also found in the near-valley gullies (r=0,674). When analyzing the average annual growth rates of all gullies from the average width of their heads, a weak relationship was found (r=0,389). At the same time, a reliable significant relationship was found only for the head ravines (r=0,582). A reliable moderate relationship was established for the near-watershed gullies (r=0,485) and a weak positive relationship was found for the bottom gullies (r=0,335). In both cases, the connection was not found only with the gulch ravines. The considered dependences were also calculated for 6 groups of ravines that erode various lithological complexes of sediments.