Rainfall erosivity in Europe: an update of the REDES database

Rainfall erosivity is a key driver of the soil erosion process, and it varies greatly across Europe due to differences in climate regimes, precipitation patterns, and storm intensities. The rainfall erosivity (R-factor) database in Europe needs to be updated. The rainfall erosivity database is required to develop robust input data for soil erosion models. This contribution presents an updated Rainfall Erosivity Database at European Scale (REDES 2.0), which is based on high-frequency, sub-hourly and hourly data from 9,138 stations across Europe. All the high-frequency data were converted to a 30-minute time step using data aggregation or disaggregation using a multiplicative cascade model. The 30-minute time step was then used to calculate R-factor following the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) methodology. Over 2.4 million erosive events were consequently identified, primarily covering the period from 2010 to 2025, with an average station data length of 15 years and approximately 265 erosive events per station. Spatial patterns of the annual R-factor show pronounced differences across Europe, with the highest values concentrated in the Mediterranean and Alpine regions. In contrast, northern, eastern and central Europe exhibit comparatively lower values. These spatial patterns and the country-averaged R-factor values resemble those of the previous REDES 1.0 database somewhat, though there are some differences in countries such as Greece and Italy. This can be attributed to the increased spatial density of stations in REDES 2.0 and to some extreme storms in recent years. REDES 1.0 and 2.0 are overlapping at 1062 locations around Europe and average annual R-factor values for these stations are 792 MJ*mm*ha^-1*h^-1*year^-1 and 861 MJ*mm*ha^-1*h^-1*year^-1 for REDES 1.0 and 2.0, respectively. The corresponding standard error of the annual R-factor in REDES 2.0 using all available data averaged at around 18%. Using only data from 2010 onwards did not significantly alter the annual R-factor or the corresponding standard error compared to using all available data in the calculation of the annual R-factor.  The relationship between the annual R-factor and station characteristics, such as location and elevation, was generally weak. This indicates the complex drivers of rainfall erosivity in Europe. REDES 2.0, an updated version of the original database (REDES 1.0), provides essential input for soil erosion modelling, land management planning and climate adaptation strategies. It can also be used to develop methods for dynamic estimation of continental rainfall erosivity.

 

Acknowledgment: The N. Bezak contribution was supported by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) through grant P2-0180.