Field experiments constraining the probability distribution of particle travel distances during natural rainstorms on different slope gradients
Article
Article Title | Field experiments constraining the probability distribution of particle travel distances during natural rainstorms on different slope gradients |
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ERA Journal ID | 1720 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Ghahramani, Afshin (Author), Ishikawa, Yoshiharu (Author) and Mudd, Simon M. (Author) |
Journal Title | Earth Surface Processes and Landforms |
Journal Citation | 37 (5), pp. 473-485 |
Number of Pages | 13 |
Year | 2012 |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0197-9337 |
1096-9837 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2253 |
Web Address (URL) | http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/esp.2253/full |
Abstract | Rain splash erosion is an important soil transport mechanism on steep hillslopes. The rain splash process is highly stochastic; here we seek to constrain the probability distribution of splash transport distances on natural hillslopes as a function of hillslope gradient and total precipitation depth. Field experiments were conducted under natural precipitation events to observe splash travel on varying slope gradients. The downslope fraction of splash transport on 15 degrees, 25 degrees and 33 degrees gradients were 85%,96% and 96%, respectively. Maximum splash transport (Lmax) was related to the rain splash detachment of soil particles and slope gradient. An empirical relationship of Lmax to the precipitation depth and gradient was obtained; it is linearly proportional to hillslope gradient and logarithmically related to precipitation depth. Measured splash distances were calibrated to the fully two-dimensional (2D) model of splash transport of Furbish et al. (Journal of Geophysical Research 112: F01001, 2007) that is based on the assumption that radial splash distances are exponentially distributed; calibrated values of mean splash transport distances are an order of magnitude greater than those previously determined in a controlled laboratory setting. We also compared measured data with several one-dimensional (1D) probability distributions to asses if splash transport distances could be better explained by a heavy-tailed probability distribution rather than an exponential probability distribution. We find that for hillslopes of 15 degrees and 25 degrees, although a lognormal probability distribution best describes the data, we find its likelihood is nearly indistinguishable from an exponential distribution based on computing maximum likelihood estimators for all 1D distributions (exponential, log-normal and Weibull). At 33�, however, we find stronger evidence that measured travel distances are heavy-tailed. |
Keywords | rain splash; probability distribution function; heavy-tailed distribution; sediment transport; slope gradient |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410406. Natural resource management |
410699. Soil sciences not elsewhere classified | |
379999. Other earth sciences not elsewhere classified | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan |
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q3q5v/field-experiments-constraining-the-probability-distribution-of-particle-travel-distances-during-natural-rainstorms-on-different-slope-gradients
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