Hydraulic and soil mechanical aspects of rill generation on agricultural soils

SUMMARY An attempt is made, using literature data, to clarify the relationship between the detachment capacity of overland flow and its hydraulic characteristics. Attention is paid to the influence of sediment properties and rainfall. Using these relationships and the concept of effective shear velocity, it was possible to establish a relationship for rill prediction which covers a variety of soils and a wide range of field conditions. Raindrop impacts do not seem to have an important influence on rill generation on cohesive materials.