National Soil Erosion Research Lab Site Logo
ARS Home About Us Helptop nav spacerContact Us En Espanoltop nav spacer
Printable VersionPrintable Version     E-mail this pageE-mail this page
Agricultural Research Service United States Department of Agriculture
Search
  Advanced Search
 
Programs and Projects
Subjects of Investigation
WEPP
RUSLE
USLE Database
Sustaining the Global farm-Proceedings from ISCO99
ASAE 2001 Erosion Symposium
ASABE 2011 Erosion Symposium
 

Research Project: BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES AND SOIL MANAGEMENT IMPACTS ON SOIL EROSION, SOIL/AIR/WATER QUALITY, AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Location: National Soil Erosion Research Lab

Title: Raindrop and flow interactions for interrill erosion with wind-driven rain (WDR)

Authors
item Erpul, G -
item Gabriels, D -
item Norton, Lloyd
item Flanagan, Dennis
item Huang, Chi Hua
item Visser, S -

Submitted to: Journal of Hydraulic Research IAHR
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: February 18, 2013
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Soil erosion by water is a major environmental problem in the World. Many rainstorms that cause water erosion also have strong winds that can blow the raindrops causing them to hit the ground at an angle. This angular impact can cause the detached soil particles to move either up or down a slope. We conducted a study in a wind tunnel equipped with a rainfall simulator and looked at slopes facing the wind and pointed away from it, and measured the amount of erosion coming off small soil pans during a simulated rain and wind storm. Using data from these experiments we were able to include wind velocity and slope direction in mathematical equations to improve a predictive model of soil erosion from rain and wind impacted slopes. The model gave much better results when these factors were added, compared to the normal way of just assuming that the raindrops hit the soil surface straight on. This research affects other scientists, university faculty, extension personnel, and soil conservation agency staff who use predictive models to estimate the amount of soil erosion from storms. The impact of this research is that we can provide decision makers more accurate modeling tools to predict water erosion from rainstorms that are influenced by wind.

Technical Abstract: Wind-driven rain (WDR) experiments were conducted to evaluate interrill component of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model with two-dimensional experimental set-up in wind tunnel. Synchronized wind and rain simulations were applied to soil surfaces on windward and leeward slopes of 7, 15 and 20%. Since WDR fall trajectory varied with differences in horizontal wind velocity, both magnitude of raindrop normal and lateral stresses on flow changed and a vector field was established at impact-flow boundary and differentially directed lateral jets of raindrop splashes with respect to downward flows occurred. To account for these differences, a vector approach with kinetic energy fluxes of raindrop splashes and flow were used instead of vector-free parameters of intensity and interrill runoff. When compared with original WEPP approach, these replacements resulted in greater correlations when predicting sediment rates, and using all experimental data the model coefficients of determination (r2) were 0.63 and 0.96, respectively.

   

 
Project Team
Huang, Chi Hua
Smith, Douglas - Doug
Stott, Diane
Gonzalez, Javier
Heathman, Gary
 
Publications
   Publications
 
Related National Programs
  Climate Change, Soils, and Emissions (212)
 
Related Projects
   INCREASING SOYBEAN PRODUCTIVITY WHILE IMPROVING SOIL QUALITY AND MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE
   EXPLORE BENEFICIAL AGRICULTURAL USES FOR SPRAY DRYER (SPD) BYPRODUCT FROM DAIRYLAND ELECTRICAL COOPERATIVE
 
 
Last Modified: 05/23/2013
ARS Home | USDA.gov | Site Map | Policies and Links 
FOIA | Accessibility Statement | Privacy Policy | Nondiscrimination Statement | Information Quality | USA.gov | White House