ABSTRACT
When a drop of water falls upon the soil it breaks up into a ring of droplets which rebound from the surface in a crown-shaped structure. However, when drop splash erosion occurs on a slope the trajectory of the flying droplet strikes the ground surface at a greater distance from the point of initial impact on the downhill side than on the uphill side. Splash erosion is initiated by the kinetic energy of the raindrop released at the instant of impact, causing detachment of soil particles. Erosion results from the interaction between the erosive power of the water and the erodability of the soil. Many measurements have been made of the effect of slope factors on soil erosion. Vegetative cover reduces splash erosion in two ways: it decreases the erosive power of the rain, and it increases the resistance of the soil surface. The gulley is the most photogenic symbol of land damaged by erosion.
