HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Farmer, E. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Farmer, E. E. Agricola Articles by Farmer, E. E.

Relative Detachability of Soil Particles by Simulated Rainfall¹

ABSTRACT

Disturbed surface soil masses of two coarse-grained granitic soils and a single fine-textured clay soil were subjected to simulated rainfall. The relative detachability of 11 soil-size fractions was determined by comparing the proportion of a given size fraction in the pretreatment soil mass with the proportion of that size fraction in the splashed soil.

Tests were conducted under two levels of rainfall intensity, three degrees of slope steepness, and in the presence or absence of overland flow. Effects of rainfall intensity and slope steepness were small. Overland flow had a pronounced effect on particle detachment resulting from raindrop impact.

Without overland flow, soil particle sizes in the range of 110–1,450 µm were most susceptible to detachment by raindrop impact. With overland flow, the susceptible size range was 219–2,034 µm.

¹ Contribution from USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Ogden, Utah 84401; stationed in Logan, Utah at Forestry Sci. Lab., maintained in cooperation with Utah State Univ.

² Associate Forest Hydrologist.

Received for publication June 26, 1972. Accepted for publication April 19, 1973.