Evaluating the Erosion Process from a Single-Stripe Laser-Scanned Topography: A Laboratory Case Study

Abstract

Topographies during the erosion process obtained from the single-stripe laser-scanning method may provide an accurate, but affordable, soil loss estimation based on high-precision digital elevation model (DEM) data. In this study, we used laboratory erosion experiments with a sloping flume, a rainfall simulator, and a stripe laser apparatus to evaluate topographic changes of soil surface and the erosion process. In the experiments, six slope gradients of the flume (5° to 30° with an increment of 5°) were used and the rainfall simulator generated a 30-min rainfall with the kinetic energy equivalent to 80 mm/h on average. The laser-scanned topography and sediment yield were collected every 5 min in each test. The difference between the DEMs from laser scans of different time steps was used to obtain the eroded soil volumes and the corresponding estimates of soil loss in mass. The results suggest that the collected sediment yield and eroded soil volume increased with rainfall duration and slope, and quantified equations are proposed for soil loss prediction using rainfall duration and slope. This study shows the applicability of the stripe laser-scanning method in soil loss prediction and erosion evaluation in a laboratory case study.

Quantity and Quality of Surface and Subsurface Runoff from an Eroded Loess Slope Used for Agricultural Purposes

“…Experiments in simulated conditions [46] showed that an increasing rainfall intensity had a larger effect on the sediment yield than increasing slope. Other laboratory research [47] suggested that the collected sediment yield and eroded soil volume increased with rainfall duration and slope. In their research, Shen et al [48] generated an equation describing the relationship between the rill erosion rate and rainfall intensity and slope gradient.…”

Modeling and Practice of Erosion and Sediment Transport under Change

“…Small-scale laboratory rainfall simulator experimental data based on high-precision DEM are evaluated to provide accurate, but affordable, soil loss estimates [51]. Laser-scanned topography and sediment yields were collected every 5 min in each test.…”