Perspectives: Lessons learned, challenges and opportunities in quantifying cohesive soil erodibility with the jet erosion test (JET)

Authors: FOX, GAREY - North Carolina State University; GUERTAULT, L - North Carolina State University; BOLINAGA-CASTRO, C - North Carolina State University; ALLEN, P - Baylor University; BIGHAM, K - Kansas State University; BONELLI, S - Aix-Marseille University; Hunt, Sherry; KASSA, K - Northwest Hydraulic Consultants; Langendoen, Eddy; PORTER, E - Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; SHAFII, I - Fugro; WAHL, T - Bureau Of Reclamation; THOMPSON, T - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: Journal of the ASABE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/10/2022
Publication Date: 1/10/2022
Citation: Fox, G.A., Guertault, L., Bolinaga-Castro, C., Allen, P., Bigham, K.A., Bonelli, S., Hunt, S.L., Kassa, K., Langendoen, E.J., Porter, E., Shafii, I., Wahl, T., Thompson, T.W. 2022. Perspectives: Lessons learned, challenges and opportunities in quantifying cohesive soil erodibility with the jet erosion test (JET). Journal of the ASABE. 65(2):197-207. https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.14714.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/ja.14714

Interpretive Summary: The Jet Erosion Test (JET) is commonly used in research and practice by engineers to quantify soil erosion characteristics. For more than two decades, scientists have written research documents outlining the design and use of the JET, ways of estimating soil erosion parameters, the interaction between water from the JET and the soil surface, and using the estimated soil parameters in soil erosion prediction. This article summarizes the outcomes of a workshop among academic, governmental, and industry professionals that summarized lessons learned from the use of the JET and future research needs. This information will help improve soil conservation measures and preserve the physical integrity of embankments that impound irrigation water and flood runoff.

Technical Abstract: The Jet Erosion Test (JET) remains one of the most commonly used instruments for quantifying cohesive soil erodibility in situ. Over the past two decades, there has been a growing body of research published on the design and use of the JET, analysis techniques for estimating erodibility parameters, JET hydrodynamics, and utilization of JET-derived soil properties in hydraulic and sediment transport models. With support from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), a targeted workshop was held in November 2019 that promoted the historical advances made on this instrument and attracted a new audience to participate in a dialogue and collaboration on the JET and its use across a wide range of soil erosion applications. Twenty-four individuals participated with diverse backgrounds in academia, government, and consulting. The objective of this perspectives paper is to convey lessons learned regarding the use of the JET and future research needs identified during this workshop, helping the scientific and engineering community set a path for not only the use of the JET but also other techniques for quantifying cohesive sediment detachment and erosion rates. The workshop highlighted several research needs and focus areas for further development. Updated standards and benchmark soils are needed to ensure consistency in JETs. The JET should be redesigned to extract more information on scour progression and decrease user effort. Erodibility databases should be developed that report JET, soil, and fluid properties. Improved hydrodynamic modeling can better inform JET operation and analysis.