Pedosphere 8(3): 211--220, 1998
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©1998 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Quantitative model for estimating soil erosion rates using 137Cs |
| YANG Hao1,2, DU Ming-Yuan3, CHANG Qing2, K. MINAMI3 and T. HATTA2 |
1 Institute of Soil Science, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 821, Nanjing 210008 (China);
2 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1-2, Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 (Japan);
3 National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences, 3-1-1, Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305 (Japan) |
| ABSTRACT |
| A quantitative model was developed to relate the amount of 137Cs loss from the soil profile to the rate of soil erosion. According to mass balance model, the depth distribution pattern of 137Cs in the soil profile, the radioactive decay of 137Cs, sampling year and the difference of 137Cs fallout amount among years were taken into consideration. By introducing typical depth distribution functions of 137Cs into the model, detailed equations for the model were got for different soils. The model shows that the rate of soil erosion is mainly controlled by the depth distribution pattern of 137Cs, the year of sampling, and the percentage reduction in total 137Cs. The relationship between the rate of soil loss and 137Cs depletion is neither linear nor logarithmic. The depth distribution pattern of 137Cs is a major factor for estimating the rate of soil loss. Soil erosion rate is directly related with the fraction of 137Cs content near the soil surface. The influences of the radioactive decay of 137Cs, sampling year and 137Cs input fraction are not large compared with others. |
| Key Words: 137Cs, model, soil erosion rate |
| Citation: Yang, H., Du, M. Y., Chang, Q., Minami, K. and Hatta, T. 1998. Quantitative model for estimating soil erosion rates using 137Cs. Pedosphere. 8(3): 211-220. |
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