GEOL 1110 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Caesium, Surface Runoff, Slope Stability
Document Summary
Figure 14. 1: factors that cause soil erosion and their interactions. At the immediate level, soil is principally eroded by the forces of water or wind acting on the soil surface, and on steep slopes, although other agents, such as animal and humans, can also contribute (e. g. footprint erosion) Wind moves soil particles by one of three processes depending on the size and mass of the particles: Land e. g. geology, topography, vegetation, hydrology, soil type. Socio-economic factors e. g. populatiion density, land tenure systems, marketing, farm subsidies. Land use e. g. farming system, soil conservation measures, sustainability. Rainfall factors: drop size, velocity, distribution, angle and direction; rain intensity, frequency, and duration. Runoff factors: supple rate, flow depth, velocity, frequency, magnitude, duration, sediment content. Soil factors: particle size, clod-forming properties, cohesiveness, aggregates, infiltration capacity. Vegetation: ground cover, vegetation type, degree of protection. Topography: slope inclination (+) and length (+), surface roughness, flow convergence or divergence.
