Author(s): Gunay Erpul Professor; Donald Gabriels Emeritus Professor; PhD L. Darrell Norton Research Soil Scientist (Retired); PhD Dennis C. Flanagan Research Agricultural Engineer; PhD Chi Hua Huang Research Soil Scientist; PhD Saskia Visser Researcher

Linked Author(s):

Keywords: Flow kinetic energy flux; interrill erosion; raindrop impact velocity vector; Water Erosion Prediction Project; wind-driven rain

Abstract: Wind-driven rain (WDR) experiments were conducted to evaluate the interrill component of the Water Erosion Prediction Project model with a two-dimensional experimental set-up in a wind tunnel. Synchronized wind and rain simulations were applied to soil surfaces on windward and leeward slopes of 7, 15 and 20%. Since WDR fall trajectory varied with horizontal wind velocities of 6, 10, and 14 m s−1, magnitude of raindrop normal and lateral stresses on flow at the impact-flow boundary also changed and differentially directed lateral jets of raindrop splashes with respect to downward flows occurred. To account for interactions between raindrop impact and interrill shallow flow, a vector approach with kinetic energy fluxes of both raindrop splashes and flow were used and this resulted in greater correlations in predicting sediment delivery rates.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2013.778339

Year: 2013