Studies on the Mechanism of Soil Erosion by Raindrops (3)

In this paper, we analyzed a mechanism of soil erosion by raindrops. Recent experimental studies have shown that in addition to the soil moved downslope by flowing surface water, some soil is carried downslope by the splash from raindrops. When falling raindrops strike either the soil surface or a thin film of water covering the surface, soil and water particle are splashed into the air. If the raindrops fall vertically to the surface of a hillside they tend to strike glancing blows and the splashed soil is mostly thrown down hill. Another cause for the splash moving soil toward the base of the hill is that the particles moving downslope travel greater horizontal distances than those directed upslope.