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Abstract
Kinetic energy of a rainfall event is determined by its intensity. However, the effective kinetic energy reaching a soil surface that is responsible for detachment and transportation of soil particles is often less than the total kinetic energy of the rainfall event. This is because of the cushioning effect a film of water provides. Therefore it is essential to account for the loss in kinetic energy of a rainfall event and incorporate it in simulation models to accurately estimate soil erosion. This paper proposes a logarithmic energy loss model to estimate kinetic energy of rainfall reaching the soil surface. The model accounts for the depth of shallow overland flow and rainfall intensity. The empirical model was established through the set of data obtained from a rainfall simulation experimental setup consisting of a laboratory-scale tilting hydraulic flume, rainfall simulator and a series of sensitive piezoelectric force transducers. Slope variations were simulated by mechanically tilting the flume between 0° and 15°. Responses captured by the transducers in the form of voltage and pulses were analysed to establish the empirical model. The high Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (Ε = 0.90) suggests the reliability of the empirical model and its potential for applications in soil erosion modelling.
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Notes on contributors
M S Pudasaini
Dr Madhu Sudan Pudasaini is a Senior Engineer at Hunter Water Corporation. He received his MEng (Honours) and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Western Sydney. Madhu’s practical experiences range from community-based drinking water supply and sanitation schemes to strategic planning of water distribution and wastewater transport systems spanning Asia and Australia. His research interests include mathematical modelling of hydrologic, hydraulic and soil erosion processes. He is a Member of Engineers Australia, Soil Science Society of America, Mountain Forum and Nepal Engineering Council. He is an editorial member of the Newsletter of World Association of Soil & Water Conservation and is a founding member of Institute of Engineering Alumni Association in Nepal.
S P Shrestha
Dr Surendra Shrestha is an Associate Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Western Sydney. He lectures into the broad area of water engineering. Surendra received his PhD in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech, and has worked with multidisciplinary research teams in Asia, Australia and North America. His practical experiences and research interests range from urban hydrology to forested watershed hydrology to groundwater contamination remediation. More recently, his involvement has been in mathematical modelling of built urban environments.