SOIL EROSION &

SEDIMENTATION

Edy
Soil Erosion:
 Driving force : Wind & Water  → land slope, soil type, ground
cover, intensity of rainfall/wind-speed.
 Mechanism: Potential Energy = m.gh → Kinematic Eng = 0.5
m.v^2
 Factor affecting soil erosion: energy, resistance & protection.
 Type of Erosion : Geologic & Accelerated (generated by natural
cond. & man’s activities).
 Process of water erosion: hydraulic action, abrasion, attrition,
solution, transportation, and deposition.
 Factors affecting water erosion: climate, topographic cond., soil
type, ground cover.
 Rill erosion : micro channel erosion due to irregularities of soil
aggregate & clods.
 Gully erosion: advanced stage of rill erosion.
 Snow & glacial erosion.
 Anthropogenic erosion: indirectly caused by man/animal’s
activities.: shifting cultivation, change run off pattern, etc.
 EROSIVITY & ERODIBILITY

EROSIVITY:
 Potential ability of rain to cause the erosion.
 It depends on:
◦ a. rainfall intensity,
◦ b. drop size distribution
◦ c. terminal velocity : f(b); Kinetic Energy: f(a,b,c)
◦ d. wind velocity, and
◦ e. direction of slope

ERODIBILITY:
 Vulnerability/susceptibility of the soil to get erosion
 It depends on:
◦ a. physical characteristic of the soil : soil-type, gradation, mineral content,
moisture, etc.
◦ b. land management applied.
PROCESS OF RAINDROP EROSION
The Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Revised
Universal Soil Loss Equation
 USLE → RUSLE :

 Revised/improved the factors of: R, K, C,

L, S, and P. (p.671)
SEDIMENTATION
Sources of sediment:
 Erosion that caused by rainfall/runoff, stream flow abrasion,
flood.
 Soil mass movement: land slide, etc.
 Civil work / construction.
 Mining industries.
 Wind abrasion.

Total sediment load depends on :

 Suspended load: materials float in the stream flow
 Bed load: materials move on or near the stream bed
◦ Contact load: materials rolled/slide along the stream bed
◦ Saltation load : materials bouncing on the stream bed
Distribution Pattern of Sedimentation
Distribution Pattern of Sedimentation in the Reservoir s
depend on:
 Sediment load : size, total volume (per unit time).
 Inflow : discharge, velocity, pattern.
 Reservoir: shape, size/volume
 Management: reservoir operation, land-use management,
sediment prevention.

Distribution Pattern of Sedimentation or Abrasion in the

Coastal areas or Estuaries depend on:
 Coastal/estuary’s condition: shape (vertical & horizontal), bed
material, wind (speed, direction), ground cover, sea-wave
(height, pattern).
 Sediment discharge from the river: size, total volume (per unit
time).
 Sea current: pattern, direction, velocity.
 Tidal flows: discharge, velocity, pattern.
 Coastal/estuary management.