Quantification of particle detachment by rain splash and wind-driven rain splash

• Published in: Catena (Giessen) Vol. 127; pp. 135 - 141
• Main Authors: Marzen, Miriam, Iserloh, Thomas, Casper, Markus C., Ries, Johannes B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.04.2015
• Subjects: Assessments; Drag; Kinetic energy; Portable Wind and Rainfall Simulator (PWRS); Rain; Raindrop erosion; Raindrops; Rainfall; Soil (material); Soil erosion; Wind-driven rain (WDR); Raindrop erosion; Portable Wind and Rainfall Simulator (PWRS); Soil erosion; Wind-driven rain (WDR)
• ISSN: 0341-8162; 1872-6887
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2014.12.023

A surface-hitting raindrop transfers a part of its kinetic energy onto the surface and thereby destroys aggregates and moves soil particles. The magnitude of interrill processes is largely determined by the intensity and kinetic energy of rainfall. Wind alters all erosion-relevant characteristics of a falling raindrop such as velocity, impact angle and kinetic energy. It also might capture and drag an airborne soil particle. To quantify the amount of raindrop erosion with and without the influence of wind, an experimental setting within the Portable Wind and Rainfall Simulator was developed and applied. The results on cohesionless sandy substrate suggest that wind considerably increases raindrop-erosion:1.The mean amount of detached substrate is increased by the factor 50.2.The covered distance is greater.3.The process splash-creep is intensified. The study highlights a potentially very strong impact of wind-driven rain on soil erosion. The evaluation of splash and splash-saltation is one important step towards the general understanding and realistic assessment of regional and global soil erosion rates and application in soil erosion models. •Experimental isolation of splash, wind-driven rain-splash and splash-creep•Quantification of splash and wind-driven rain-splash processes on sandy substrate•Determination of the importance of wind on raindrop erosion