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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Wind Erosion and Water Conservation Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #77365
Title: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON "CHAIN METHOD FOR MEASURING SOIL ROUGHNESS"

Author
item Saleh, Ali

Submitted to: Soil Science Society of America Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/1/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: I have introduced a simple and inexpensive method to measure soil surface roughness for erosion purposes. This method replaces highly technical and/or expensive methods and is easily used by farmers and field technicians. Questions have been raised by other scientists concerning this method. This paper answers these questions by providing scientific explanations.

Technical Abstract: Skidmore (1996) has raised two important issues regarding the chain method. The chain method can be used in two ways; 1) chain length is constant (L2) and horizontal distance (L1) changes; and 2) the chain length (L2) varies and horizontal distance (L1) is constant. In both cases the calculated R is the same. A new equation was derived to calculate Kr based on ridge height, ridge spacing, and chain roughness measurement. The new equation eliminated the need to account for the number of ridges, N and the empirical C coefficient. Ridge roughness factor (Kr(chain)) obtained from the new equation and those by traditional equation (Kr) are now the same for ridges without random roughness. However, equation 13 is applicable for ridges with random roughness.