EGU25-8097, updated on 14 Mar 2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8097
EGU General Assembly 2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Oral | Friday, 02 May, 17:00–17:10 (CEST)
 
Room 0.51
The Dynamic Interplay of Compressive and Shear Forces in Soil Detachment Under Wind-Driven Rain: Insights from Texturally Diverse Soils
Sema Kaplan1, Gunay Erpul2, Donald Gabriels3, and Wim Cornelis4
Sema Kaplan et al.
  • 1Erciyes University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Kayseri, Türkiye (semakarabag@gmail.com)
  • 2Ankara University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Ankara, Türkiye
  • 3UNESCO Chair on Eremology, Faculty of Biosciences Engineering, University of Ghent,Ghent, Belgium (donaldgabriels@gmail.com)
  • 4Department of Environment, Faculty of Biosciences Engineering, University of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium (wim.cornelis@ugent.be)

Traditional soil erosion models often oversimplify the mechanics of detachment by assuming vertical raindrop impacts (KEy = KEr), neglecting the critical role of shear forces (KEx) in wind-driven rain (WDR). This study investigates soil detachment rates under both wind-free rain (WFR) and WDR using four soils of differing textures: Efb (high clay and organic matter), Lda (low clay and sandy), Abd (intermediate clay and sand), and Nukerke (high clay, low organic matter, and coarse particles). Experiments conducted in a wind tunnel with a rainfall simulator evaluated the effects of vertical (KEy) and horizontal (KEx) kinetic energy fluxes on detachment rates (Du) across rainfall incidence angles (α = 0o, 53o, 68o, 73o).

The results reveal that soil detachment rates peak at α = 53o, where compressive and shear forces are balanced, enhancing detachment efficiency. Beyond this angle, as shear forces dominate and compressive forces diminish, Du declines significantly, particularly in wet soils. Soil texture and moisture content further modulate these effects, with sandy soils (e.g., Lda) being more sensitive to shear forces and cohesive soils (e.g., Efb) exhibiting higher resistance across conditions. These findings underscore the importance of integrating the dynamic partitioning of kinetic energy, soil-specific properties, and rainfall inclination into predictive erosion models to capture the complex interplay of forces driving soil detachment.

Keywords: Soil erosion modeling, Wind-driven rain (WDR), Rainfall incidence angle, Soil detachment rates

How to cite: Kaplan, S., Erpul, G., Gabriels, D., and Cornelis, W.: The Dynamic Interplay of Compressive and Shear Forces in Soil Detachment Under Wind-Driven Rain: Insights from Texturally Diverse Soils, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8097, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8097, 2025.