ARS | Publication request: Validation of the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (Rweq)for Single Events and Discrete Periods

Submitted to: Soil Erosion for 21st Century Symposium
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 3, 2001
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The USDA, Agricultural Research Service scientists and engineers have developed a new method of predicting wind erosion called the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ). This computer model predicts the amount of soil loss due to wind erosion when certain information on weather, soils, plants and land management are known. This study was a test of the model using field-measured input and erosion data from six sites located in five states. The results show that the model was highly correlated with the field-measured results but the relationship was not very precise. The model estimates of soil loss were lower (about 35% to 55%) than the amount of field-measured soil loss.

Technical Abstract: The Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) makes annual or period estimates of wind erosion based on a single event wind erosion model that includes factors for wind and rainfall, soil roughness, the erodible fraction of soil, crusting, and surface residues. In this study we measured wind erosion and the factors used in RWEQ for 41 storm events at six locations. The maximum sediment transport (Qmax), critical field length (S) and field soil loss (SL) were calculated from the field measured data and estimated using the equations provided by RWEQ. RWEQ under-estimated Qmax and SL and over-estimated S. Simple linear regressions between observed and estimated Qmax, S and SL revealed significant (P<0.05) correlations for Qmax and SL. The correlation coefficients for Qmax and SL were 0.70 and 0.62, respectively. The calculated S was not significantly related to the estimated S.