Effect of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Soil Detachment Capacities of Three Loamy Soils on the Loess Plateau of China
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
The authors are describing a thoroughly planned and well conducted experiment. The relevance of the research is clearly described in the introduction. The methods are well described.
In the discussion and conclusion section the authors are not giving strong interpretations. Mostly, the description of the results is re-iterated. The focus is on the confirmation of previous results. The authors make insufficient attempts to emphasize the novelty of their own results. With a rather technical discussion of the results it is difficult for the reader to extract a take-home message. Overall, the manuscript is too descripitive.
The reference section conveys the view that most research (key papers) were made in China. The authors may opt to reconsider this approach by choosing to cite the many pioneers on freeze-thaw activities from other parts of the world. There has been a lot of research done in Russia, Europe and the United States.
Overall, I find the topic highly publishable. Yet, the authors should create a few clear original messages.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on soil detachment capacities of three loamy soils on the Loess Plateau of China” (ID: Water-1089448). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. The "Track Changes" function in Microsoft Word has been used and the key revised portions are marked yellow in the revised version. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are listed below. We hope our revised manuscript can reach the standards for the journal.
Many thanks for your kind attention.
Best wishes,
Lu Jian
College of agricultural engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing,
Jiangsu, 210098, China;
lujian2019@yeah.net
Response to reviewer
General comment:
The authors are describing a thoroughly planned and well conducted experiment. The relevance of the research is clearly described in the introduction. The methods are well described.
Specific comment (1): In the discussion and conclusion section the authors are not giving strong interpretations. Mostly, the description of the results is re-iterated. The focus is on the confirmation of previous results. The authors make insufficient attempts to emphasize the novelty of their own results. With a rather technical discussion of the results it is difficult for the reader to extract a take-home message. Overall, the manuscript is too descripitive.
Response to comment (1): Thanks for your insightful comment. We have attempted to emphasize the novelty of our results and some interesting data has been explained in the discussion part. Please see discussion and conclusion section.
Specific comment (2): The reference section conveys the view that most research (key papers) were made in China. The authors may opt to reconsider this approach by choosing to cite the many pioneers on freeze-thaw activities from other parts of the world. There has been a lot of research done in Russia, Europe and the United States.
Response to comment (2): Thanks for your insightful comment. Researches done in Europe and the United States have been added as follow and we do not sure if there are omissions. Please advise if there are other important references.
- Starkloff, T.; Larsbo, M.; Stolte, J. Quantifying the impact of a succession of freezing-thawing cycles on the pore network of a silty clay loam and a loamy sand topsoil using X-ray tomography. Catena 2017, 156, 365-374.
- Kværnø, S.H.; Øygarden, L. The influence of freeze–thaw cycles and soil moisture on aggregate stability of three soils in Norway. Catena 2006, 67, 175-182.
- Nguyen, T.H.; Cui, Y.J.; Valery, F. Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on mechanical strength of lime-treated fine-grained soils. Transportation Geotechnics 2019, 21, 100281.
- Schjonning, P.; Lamande, M.; Keller, T. Subsoil shear strength – Measurements and prediction models based on readily available soil properties. Soil and Tillage Research 2020, 200, 104638.
- Boswell, E.P.; Balster, N.J.; Bajcz, A.W.; Thompson, A.M. Soil aggregation returns to a set point despite seasonal response to snow manipulation. Geoderma 2020, 357, 113954.
- Flerchinger, G.N.; Lehrsch, G.A.; McCool D.K. Freezing and thawing. Processes Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment 2005, 104-110.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
General comments
This is an interesting study, assessing the impact of freeze-thaw cycles of three common soil types in the Chinese Loess Plateau on their detachability. As stated by the authors, this study implies for soil erosional processes. Considering the increase in natural and human stressors – both in China and in the rest of the world – the results of this study are of high importance. Overall, the insights of this study are relevant for the topics of surface processes, elemental cycling, and sustainable land-use and management. The article well fits the scope of Water. Yet, the study’s English level is basic and sometimes erroneous. Please go for professional English review before resubmission. Also, please see below for some minor comments, all of which are of an editorial nature.
Abstract
Usually, abbreviations in abstract are not common and not recommended. Please try eliminate the abbreviations throughout the manuscript.
Introduction
Lines 45-47. ‘And the adhesion between soil particles were proportional to clay content, soil bulk density (BD), shear strength (SS), water stable aggregates (WSA), and soil organic matter (SOM)’ – please divide this sentence into two sentences: one for positively proportional (an increase in adhesion causes an increase in ...) and one for negatively proportional (an increase in adhesion causes a decrease in ...).
Lines 85-88. In the statement of the study objective, please detail the types of the three soils. Also, please provide a detailed hypothesis.
Results
Figure 3. Please pull up the footnote, and connect them to the figure caption (in the current version, the footnote seems like a part of the text.
Figure 4. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 5. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 6. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 7. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 8. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 9. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Discussion
Lines 253-254. ‘the influence of FTC was not only related to texture, but also to particle size’ – I would assume you mean secondary particle size. Please clarify.
Line 260. ‘sandy loamy’ – please modify to sandy loam.
Author Response
Dear Editors and Reviewer:
Thank you for your letter and for the reviewers’ comments concerning our manuscript entitled “Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on soil detachment capacities of three loamy soils on the Loess Plateau of China” (ID: Water-1089448). Those comments are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper, as well as the important guiding significance to our researches. We have studied comments carefully and have made correction which we hope meet with approval. The "Track Changes" function in Microsoft Word has been used and the key revised portions are marked yellow in the revised version. The main corrections in the paper and the responds to the reviewer’s comments are listed below. We hope our revised manuscript can reach the standards for the journal.
Many thanks for your kind attention.
Best wishes,
Lu Jian
College of agricultural engineering, Hohai University,
Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210098, China;
lujian2019@yeah.net
Response to reviewer
General comment:
This is an interesting study, assessing the impact of freeze-thaw cycles of three common soil types in the Chinese Loess Plateau on their detachability. As stated by the authors, this study implies for soil erosional processes. Considering the increase in natural and human stressors – both in China and in the rest of the world – the results of this study are of high importance. Overall, the insights of this study are relevant for the topics of surface processes, elemental cycling, and sustainable land-use and management. The article well fits the scope of Water. Yet, the study’s English level is basic and sometimes erroneous. Please go for professional English review before resubmission. Also, please see below for some minor comments, all of which are of an editorial nature.
Response to comment: Thanks for the insightful comment. The language has been modified within the revision period. But if it not up to the requirements, we will continue to modify.
Specific comment (1):
Usually, abbreviations in abstract are not common and not recommended. Please try eliminate the abbreviations throughout the manuscript.
Response to comment (1): Sorry for that confusion. We have eliminated the abbreviations throughout the manuscript.
Specific comment (2):
Introduction
Lines 45-47. ‘And the adhesion between soil particles were proportional to clay content, soil bulk density (BD), shear strength (SS), water stable aggregates (WSA), and soil organic matter (SOM)’ – please divide this sentence into two sentences: one for positively proportional (an increase in adhesion causes an increase in ...) and one for negatively proportional (an increase in adhesion causes a decrease in ...)..
Response to comment (2): Thanks for the comment. Yes, it is correct and this situation has been more detailed described.
“And the adhesion between soil particles was positively proportional to clay content, soil bulk density, shear strength, water stable aggregates content, and soil organic matter. However, the increase in sand content, soil porosity and water content cause a decrease in adhesion.”
Specific comment (3):
Results
Figure 3. Please pull up the footnote, and connect them to the figure caption (in the current version, the footnote seems like a part of the text.
Figure 4. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 5. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 6. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 7. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 8. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Figure 9. Please insert a footnote on the meaning of different letters (same as for Figure 3).
Response to comment (3): Done as suggested. Footnotes have been added and connect them to the figure caption of Fig. 3-9.
Specific comment (4):
Discussion
Lines 253-254. ‘the influence of FTC was not only related to texture, but also to particle size’ – I would assume you mean secondary particle size. Please clarify.
Response to comment (4): Sorry for that confusion. The sentence has been revised to “the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on aggregates was not only related to soil texture, but also to the size of aggregates.”
Specific comment (5):
Line 260. ‘sandy loamy’ – please modify to sandy loam.
Response to comment (5): Sorry for that mistake. ‘sandy loamy’ has been modified to ‘sandy loam’.
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
