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Uncertainties in rainfall kinetic energy-intensity relations for soil erosion modelling

  • For bare soil conditions, the most important process driving and initiating splash and interrill erosion is the detachment of soil particles via raindrop impact. The kinetic energy of a rainfall event is controlled by the drop size and fall velocity distribution, which is often directly or indirectly implemented in erosion models. Therefore, numerous theoretical functions have been developed for the estimation of rainfall kinetic energy from available rainfall intensity measurements. The aim of this study is to assess differences inherent in a wide number of kinetic energy-rainfall intensity (KE-I) relations and their role in soil erosion modelling. Therefore, 32 KE-I relations are compared against measured rainfall energies based on optical distrometer measurements carried out at five stations of two substantially different rainfall regimes. These allow for continuous high-resolution (1-min) direct measurements of rainfall kinetic energies from a detailed spectrum of measured drop sizes and corresponding fall velocities. To quantifyFor bare soil conditions, the most important process driving and initiating splash and interrill erosion is the detachment of soil particles via raindrop impact. The kinetic energy of a rainfall event is controlled by the drop size and fall velocity distribution, which is often directly or indirectly implemented in erosion models. Therefore, numerous theoretical functions have been developed for the estimation of rainfall kinetic energy from available rainfall intensity measurements. The aim of this study is to assess differences inherent in a wide number of kinetic energy-rainfall intensity (KE-I) relations and their role in soil erosion modelling. Therefore, 32 KE-I relations are compared against measured rainfall energies based on optical distrometer measurements carried out at five stations of two substantially different rainfall regimes. These allow for continuous high-resolution (1-min) direct measurements of rainfall kinetic energies from a detailed spectrum of measured drop sizes and corresponding fall velocities. To quantify the effect of different KE-I relations on sediment delivery, we apply the erosion model WATEM/SEDEM in an experimental setup to four catchments of NE-Germany. The distrometer data shows substantial differences between measured and theoretical models of drop size and fall velocity distributions. For low intensities the number of small drops is overestimated by the Marshall and Palmer (1948; MP) drop size distribution, while for high intensities the proportion of large drops is overestimated by the MP distribution. The distrometer measurements show a considerable proportion of large drops falling at slower velocities than predicted by the Gunn and Kinzer (1949) terminal velocity model. For almost all rainfall events at all stations, the KE-I relations predicted higher cumulative kinetic energy sums compared to the direct measurements of the optical distrometers. The different KE-I relations show individual characteristics over the course of rainfall intensity levels. Our results indicate a high sensitivity (up to a range from 10 to 27 t ha(-1)) of the simulated sediment delivery related to different KE-I relations. Hence, the uncertainty associated with KE-I relations for soil erosion modelling is of critical importance.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author details:Florian Wilken, Martin Baur, Michael SommerORCiDGND, Detlef DeumlichORCiD, Oliver BensGND, Peter FienerORCiD
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.07.002
ISSN:0341-8162
ISSN:1872-6887
Title of parent work (English):Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science, hydrology, geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution
Publisher:Elsevier
Place of publishing:Amsterdam
Publication type:Article
Language:English
Date of first publication:2018/07/23
Publication year:2018
Release date:2021/06/15
Tag:Drop fall velocity; Drop size distribution; Optical distrometer; Rainfall kinetic energy; Soil erosion modelling
Volume:171
Number of pages:11
First page:234
Last Page:244
Funding institution:Terrestrial Environmental Observatory TERENO-Northeast of the Helmholtz Association; HelmholtzHelmholtz Association
Organizational units:Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Umweltwissenschaften und Geographie
DDC classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 55 Geowissenschaften, Geologie / 550 Geowissenschaften
Peer review:Referiert
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