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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #98326
Title: SEDIMENT DETACHMENT AND TRANSPORT PROCESSES FROM INTERRILL AND RILL AREAS

Author
item ZARTL, A - UNIV. OF AG. SCI. VIENNA
item KLIK, A - UNIV. OF AG. SCI. VIENNA
item Huang, Chi Hua

Submitted to: European Geophysical Society Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/18/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil erosion processes are divided into two major components, interrill and rill erosion, based on different detachment and transport processes involved. In interrill areas, sediments are detached by raindrop impact and transported by the rain-impacted shallow surface flow. In rills, sediments are detached and transported by the flow. The objective of this work was to investigate basic processes of sediment detachment and transport in both rill and interrill areas. In addition to those already known factors such as rainfall intensity and slope steepness, experiments were specifically designed to quantify effects of changing surface condition on sediment detachment and transport. All experiments were conducted in the laboratory using programmable rainfall simulation troughs equipped with oscillating nozzles. Interrill soil erosion experiments were conducted in Austria for different soils, rainfall intensities, slope steepness and different soil surface conditions. Sediment transport processes from shallow surface flows in a rill channel were studied at the NSERL, USA. A multiple box system, consisting of a cascade of three soil boxes, was designed to simulate sediment transport processes in a segment of the hillslope. Sediment transport processes were studied in a rill channel for different soil hydrologic conditions, rainfall intensities, slope steepness and sediment feeding rates. Data showed the importance of raindrop impact as well as slope steepness, hydrologic conditions and their complex interactions on erosion processes from interrill and rill areas.