Universal Soil Loss

on . Posted in Geotechnical Engineering

Universal soil loss, abbreviated as USLE, predicts the potential long-term average annual soil loss per unit area.

 

Universal Soil Loss Formula

\( A  =  R \; K \; LS \; C \; P  \) 
Symbol English Metric
\( A \) = estimated annual soil loss \(tons-acre-yr\) \(tonnes-hectare-yr\)
\( C \) = crop/vegitation and management factor \(dimensionless\)
\( R \) = R factor - rainfall and runoff by geographic location (the summed erosive potential of all rainfall events in a year) \(dimensionless\)
\( LS \) = slope length-gradient factor \(dimensionless\)
\( P \) = support practice factor (reflects the effects of particles that will reduce the amount and rate of the water runoff and thus reduce the amount of erosion) \(dimensionless\)
\( K \) = soil erodibility factor (units of soil loss per unit of soil erosivity) \(dimensionless\)

 

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Tags: Soil