ARS | Publication request: POTENTIAL FOR RUNOFF AND EROSION FROM SPRING VERSUS AUTUMN PRECIPITATION INTHE NORTHERN US CORN BELT

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: October 25, 2001
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Runoff and erosion affect the quality of our air, soil and water resources. Frequency of precipitation events is an important factor affecting runoff and erosion, but little is known concerning the regional variability in the frequency of these events in the northern US Corn Belt. Daily precipitation events, varying from 0.25 to 102 mm, were examined at 15 climate stations in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Data were available from 1898 to 1997. The frequency of daily precipitation events across the northern Corn Belt increased from 16% in the NW to 24% in the SE during the spring and from 8% in the W to 17% in the E during the autumn. Precipitation events were twice as frequent in the spring than in the autumn at westerly stations and 30% more frequent in spring than autumn at easterly stations. Although no other factors (such as soil water content) that affect runoff and erosion were considered in this study, seasonal differences in the frequency of precipitation events suggest that runoff and erosion may be more likely to occur in the spring than autumn in the northern Corn Belt.