The mechanics of raindrop induced flow transport

Abstract

The process by which soil particles detached by drop impact move downstream within a flow under the stimulus of subsequent drop impacts is considered in terms of the horizontal movement of particles during their fall after being lifted from the soil surface. Available data are used to determine the variations in some of the variables in a mathematical model of raindrop-induced flow transport developed from the resulting theory. The analyses indicate that effects of variations in drop size and flow depth on the detachment of particles by drop impact can be masked by flow depth constraining the downstream movement of particles when flows shallower than about 3 drop diameters are impacted by medium-to-large raindrops.