Universal Soil Loss

on . Posted in Geotechnical Engineering

Tags: Soil

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

 

Universal Soil Loss Formula

\(\large{ A  =  R \; K \; LS \; C \; P   }\) 
Symbol English Metric
\(\large{ A }\) = estimated annual soil loss \(\large{tons-acre-yr}\) \(\large{tonnes-hectare-yr}\)
\(\large{ C }\) = crop/vegitation and management factor \(\large{dimensionless}\)
\(\large{ R }\) = R factor - rainfall and runoff by geographic location (the summed erosive potential of all rainfall events in a year) \(\large{dimensionless}\)
\(\large{ LS }\) = slope length-gradient factor \(\large{dimensionless}\)
\(\large{ P }\) = 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) \(\large{dimensionless}\)
\(\large{ K }\) = soil erodibility factor (units of soil loss per unit of soil erosivity) \(\large{dimensionless}\)

 

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Tags: Soil