Handbook of Erosion Modelling (ePub)

The movement of sediment and associated pollutants over the
landscape and into water bodies is of increasing concern with
respect to pollution control, prevention of muddy floods and
environmental protection. In addition, the loss of soil on site has
implications for declining agricultural productivity, loss of
biodiversity and decreased amenity and landscape value. The fate of
sediment and the conservation of soil are important issues for land
managers and decision-makers. In developing appropriate policies
and solutions, managers and researchers are making greater use of
erosion models to characterise the processes of erosion and their
interaction with the landscape.

A study of erosion requires one to think in terms of
microseconds to understand the mechanics of impact of a single
raindrop on a soil surface, while landscapes form over periods of
thousands of years. These processes operate on scales of
millimetres for single raindrops to mega-metres for continents.
Erosion modelling thus covers quite a lot of ground. This book
introduces the conceptual and mathematical frameworks used to
formulate models of soil erosion and uses case studies to show how
models are applied to a variety of purposes at a range of spatial
and temporal scales. The aim is to provide land managers and others
with the tools required to select a model appropriate to the type
and scale of erosion problem, to show what users can expect in
terms of accuracy of model predictions and to provide an
appreciation of both the advantages and limitations of models.
Problems covered include those arising from agriculture, the
construction industry, pollution and climatic change and range in
scale from farms to small and large catchments. The book will also
be useful to students and research scientists as an up-to-date
review of the state-of-art of erosion modelling and, through a
knowledge of how models are used in practice, in highlighting the
gaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to develop even
better models.