The kinetic energy of rain measured with an optical disdrometer: An application to splash erosion

Measurement uncertainty in rainfall kinetic energy and intensity relationships for soil erosion studies: An evaluation using PARSIVEL disdrometers in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

“…In soil erosion research, pioneer use of disdrometers was undertaken by Bollinne et al (1984) in Belgium, and Rosewell (1986) in Australia using Joss-Waldvogel disdrometers, followed by Salles et al (1999) in Belgium and France, among others. More recently, affordable laser precipitation monitors such as Parsivel or Thies Klima have allowed the increased use of these instruments in erosion studies alongside classical splash erosion measurements (Fernández-Raga et al, 2010, Angulo-Martínez et al, 2012, and to estimate rainfall erosion potential based on kinetic energy-intensity relations (Cerro et al, 1998;Sempere-Torres et al, 1998;Petan et al, 2010). Nevertheless, critical elements of uncertainty not addressed in previous studies include the neglect of spatial variability beyond field scale, dependence on hydrometeorological regimes that is the physical basis of uncertainty, and sensor measurement uncertainty.…”

Runoff and inter-rill erosion in a Maritime Pine and a Eucalypt plantation following wildfire and terracing in north-central Portugal

“…Although terraces are traditionally viewed as a technique for soil conservation, ploughing for constructing terraces in new citron plantations has been found to produce erosion rates that were exceptionally high for western Mediterranean standards (Cerdà et al, 2009). The present authors have measured high splash erosion rates on recent terraces (Fernandéz-Raga et al, 2010), and have regularly observed small-scale erosion features (pedestals, collapsing terrace sides, rills) and even gully formation on terraced hill slopes in Portugal. Runoff and associated sediment losses, however, are poorly quantified for recently terraced forest plantations (Shakesby, 2011).…”

Comparison of precipitation measurements by OTT Parsivel<sup>2</sup> and Thies LPM optical disdrometers

“…In some disciplines, both disdrometers have been used interchangeably. This is the case, for instance, for soil erosion studies where Thies LPM was used for monitoring rainfall characteristics, most notably the kinetic energy, in relation with splash erosion experiments (Angulo-Martínez et al, 2012;Fernández-Raga et al, 2010), and also in the calibration of the European portable rainfall simulator (Iserloh et al, 2013). Parsivel disdrometers, on the other hand, have been used to determine the kinetic-energy-rainfall-intensity relationship (Petan et al, 2010;Sánchez-Moreno et al, 2012).…”

“…Information on the PSD/PSVD is required for a proper understanding of hydrometeorological regimes (Iguchi et al, 2000;Krajewski et al, 2006;Adirosi et al, 2016), soil erosion (Sempere-Torres et al, 1998;Loik et al, 2004;Cruse et al, 2006;Petan et al, 2010;Fernández-Raga et al, 2010;Shuttlewort, 2012;Iserloh et al, 2013;Angulo-Martínez and Barros, 2015;Angulo-Martínez et al, 2016) and other applications such as pollution wash off in urban environments (Kathiravelu et al, 2016;Castro et al, 2010) or interactions of rainfall with crop and forest canopies Nanko et al, 2004;Nanko et al, 2013). Rainfall estimation by remote sensing, radar and satellite also rely on PSD information (Olsen et al, 1978;Atlas et al, 1999;Uijlenhoet and Sempere-Torres, 2006;Tapiador et al, 2017b).…”