Drop size distribution and kinetic energy load of rainfall events in the highlands of the Central Rift Valley,Ethiopia

Abstract

Knowledge of rainfall characteristics is important for estimating soil erosion in arid areas. We determined basic rainfall characteristics (raindrop size distribution, intensity and kinetic energy), evaluated the erosivity of rainfall events, and established a relationship between rainfall intensity I and volume-specific kinetic energy KE_vol for the Central Rift Valley area of the Ethiopian highlands. We collected raindrops on dyed filter paper and calculated KE_vol and erosivity values for each rainfall event. For most rainfall intensities the median volume drop diameter (D₅₀) was higher than expected, or reported in most studies. Rainfall intensity in the region was not high, with 8% of rain events exceeding 30 mm h^-1. We calculated soil erosion from storm energy and maximum 30-min intensity for soils of different erodibility under conditions of fallow (unprotected soil), steep slope (about 9%) and no cover and management practice on the surface, and determined that 3 MJ mm ha^-1 h^-1 is the threshold erosivity, while erosivity of >7 MJ mm ha^-1 h^-1 could cause substantial erosion in all soil types in the area.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate Editor Q. Zhang     

Application of an optical disdrometer to characterize simulated rainfall and measure drop-size distribution

ABSTRACT

Knowledge of rainfall characteristics such as drop-size distribution is essential for the development of erosion-mitigation strategies and models. This research used an optical disdrometer to elucidate the relationships between raindrop-size distribution, median volume drop diameter (D₅₀), kinetic energy and radar reflectivity (dBz) of simulated rainfall of different intensities. The D₅₀ values were higher for the simulated rain than for natural rain at almost all rainfall intensities, perhaps due to variations in rainfall types and the turbulence in natural rain that breaks up large drops. The kinetic energy ranged from 26.67 to 5955.51 J m^?2 h ^?1, while the median volume drop diameter (D₅₀) was in the range 1.94–7.25 mm, for intensities between 1.5 and 202.6 mm h^?1. The relationship between radar reflectivity (Z) and the intensity (R) of the simulated rain was best described by a power law function (Z = aR^b), with a and b coefficients in the ranges 162–706 and 0.94–2.46, respectively, throughout the range of rainfall intensities (1.5–202.6 mm h^?1).     

Estimating rainfall erosivity by aggregated drop size distributions

Rainfall erosivity is defined as the potential of the rain to cause erosion, and it can be represented by rainfall kinetic power. At first in this paper, the raindrop size distributions (DSD) measured by an optical disdrometer located at Palermo in the period June 2006–March 2014 and aggregated for intensity classes, are presented. Then an analysis of raindrop size characteristics is carried out, and the reliability of Ulbrich's distribution, using both the maximum likelihood and momentum estimate parameter methods, is tested. The raindrop size measurements are used to determine the experimental rainfall kinetic power values, which are compared with the ones calculated by a theoretically deduced relationship. This analysis demonstrates that the kinetic power is strictly related to the median volume diameter of DSD. Finally, the reliability of the simplest Marshall and Palmer exponential DSD for estimating the rainfall kinetic power is demonstrated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microphysical characteristics of rainfall during different seasons over a coastal tropical station using disdrometer

Drop size distribution (DSD) over the tropical region exhibit pronounced variations during different monsoon seasons. Measurements from an impact type Joss–Waldovgel disdrometer is used for characterization of drop size distribution and its integral parameters over a tropical coastal station (Thiruvananthapuram, 8.31°N, 76.54°E, 20 m asl). Rain events were identified during the winter, premonsoon, summer monsoon and postmonsoon seasons from 8 years, computed rain duration (min) and accumulated rain water (mm). Rain intensity (mm h^?1), mean drop diameter (D_m, mm) and total number concentration of raindrops (N_T, m^?3) were calculated on each sampling interval and classified in to different bins. The different range bins of rain intensity and their relative contributions towards total rainfall are different for different seasons. Maximum events were reported on the R2 (heavy drizzle/light rain) type, but the contribution of rainfall (mm) is mainly registered on R4 (heavy rain) type. Similarly, the N_T and D_m are also showing different characteristics during different monsoon seasons. Frequency of occurrence of D_m is higher in D_m2 (1–2 mm) followed by D_m1 (D_m < 1 mm) and then D_m3 (2–3 mm) with difference in magnitudes for different seasons. On analysing relative rainfall contribution from different mean diameter bins, it can be observed that D_m2 and D_m3 (1–3 mm) are the major contributors to the total rainfall. In the case of N_T, both frequency and accumulated water are almost same or comparable for the different bins during all the seasons. The D_m and N_T are positively related with different intensity bins. The lower rainfall intensity bins show higher duration during the summer monsoon season and lower duration during the premonsoon season, the higher intensity range bins show lower duration for the premonsoon season and higher duration for the postmonsoon season.     

Rain event properties in nature and in rainfall simulation experiments: a comparative review with recommendations for increasingly systematic study and reporting

In hydrology and geomorphology, less attention has been paid to rain event properties such as duration, mean and peak rain rate than to rain properties such as drop size or kinetic energy. A literature review shows a lack of correspondence between natural and simulated rain events. For example, 26 studies that report event statistics from substantial records of natural rain reveal a mean rain rate of just 3·47 mm h^?1 (s.d. 2·38 mm h^?1). In 17 comparable studies dealing with extreme rain rates including events in cyclonic, tropical convective, and typhoon conditions, a mean maximum rain rate (either hourly or mean event rain rate) of 86·3 mm h^?1 (s.d. 57·7 mm h^?1) is demonstrated. However, 49 studies using rainfall simulation involve a mean maximum rain rate of 103·1 mm h^?1 (s.d. 81·3 mm h^?1), often sustained for > 1 h, exceeding even than of extreme rain events, and nearly 30 times the mean rain rate in ordinary, non‐exceptional, rain events. Thus rainfall simulation is often biased toward high rain rates, and many of the rates employed (in several instances exceeding 150 mm h^?1) appear to have limited relevance to ordinary field conditions. Generally, simulations should resemble natural rain events in each study region. Attention is also drawn to the raindrop arrival rate at the surface. In natural rain, this is known to vary from < 100 m^?2 s^?1 to > 5000 m^?2 s^?1. Arrival rate may need to be added to the list of parameters that must be reproduced realistically in rainfall simulation studies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Establishing a threshold for rainfall-induced landslides by a kinetic energy–duration relationship

Many investigators have attempted to define the threshold of landslide failure, that is, the level of the selected climatic variable above which a rainfall-induced landslide occurs. Intensity–duration (I–d) relationships are the most common type of empirical thresholds proposed in the literature for predicting landslide occurrence induced by rainfall. Recent studies propose the use of the kinetic power per unit volume of rainfall (J m⁻² mm⁻¹) to quantify the threshold of landslides induced by rainfall. In this paper, the relationship between rainfall duration and kinetic power corresponding to landslides triggered by rain was used to propose a new approach to define the threshold for predicting landslide occurrence. In particular, for the first time, a kinetic power per unit volume of rainfall–duration relationship is proposed for defining the minimum threshold needed for landslide failure. This new method can be applied using commonly used relationship for estimating the kinetic power per unit volume of rainfall and a new equation based on the measured raindrop size distribution. The applicability of this last method was tested using the data of rainfall intensity, duration and median volume diameter for 51 landslides in Taiwan. For the 51 landslides, the comparison between the measured pairs' kinetic power–duration and all selected relationships demonstrated that the equation based on the measured raindrop size distribution is the best method to define the landslide occurrence threshold, as it is both a process-oriented approach and is characterized by the best statistical performance. This last method has also the advantage to allow the forecasting of landslide hazard before the end of the rainfall event, since the rainfall kinetic power threshold value can be exceeded for a time interval less than the event duration.     

Characterization of rainfall generated by dripper‐type rainfall simulator using piezoelectric transducers and its impact on splash soil erosion

Rainfall erosivity represents the primary driver for particle detachment in splash soil erosion. Several raindrop erosivity indices have been developed in order to quantify the potential of rainfall to cause soil erosion. Different types of rainfall simulators have been used to relate rainfall characteristics to soil detachment. However, rainfall produced by different rainfall simulators has different characteristics, specifically different relationships between rainfall intensity and rainfall erosivity. For this reason, the effect of rainfall characteristics produced by a dripper‐type rainfall simulator on splash soil erosion (D_s) has been investigated. The simulated rainfall kinetic energy (KE) and drop size distribution (DSD) were measured using piezoelectric transducers, modified from the Vaisala RAINCAP^® rain sensor. The soil splash was evaluated under various simulated rainfall intensities ranging from 10 to 100 mm h^?1 using the splash‐cup method. The simulated rainfall intensity (I) and kinetic energy relationship (I–KE) was found to be different from natural rainfall. The simulated rainfall intensity and splash soil erosion relationship (I–D_s) also followed this same trend. The I–KE relationship was found to follow the natural rainfall trend until the rainfall intensity reached 30 mm h^?1 and above this limit the KE started to decrease. This emphasizes the importance of the I–KE relationship in determining the I‐D_s relationship, which can differ from one rainfall simulator to another. D_s was found to be highly correlated with KE (r = 0·85, P < 0·001), when data produced by the rainfall intensity ranged from 10 to 100 mm h^?1. However, when the threshold rainfall intensity (30 mm h^?1) was considered, the correlation coefficient further improved (r = 0·89, P = 0·001). Accordingly, to improve the soil splash estimation of simulated rainfall under various rainfall intensities the I–KE characterization relationship for rainfall simulators has to be taken into account. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental comparison of some techniques for estimating natural raindrop size distribution on the south coast of the Caspian Sea,Iran

Abstract

Knowledge of the relationship between rainfall intensity and kinetic energy and its variations in time and space is important for the prediction of erosion hazard. Kinetic energy and erosivity are also strongly controlled by raindrop size. However, studies on raindrop measurement and different practical techniques have been rarely documented. The current study therefore aimed to apply existing raindrop-size measurement techniques—the photographic, flour-pellet and stain methods, as well as an innovative flour-stain method—and to evaluate their applicability at several intensities in Mazandaran Province, Iran. The distribution of raindrop size obtained by the different methods was recorded and compared with those obtained through applying a high-speed imaging technique. All the analyses were made with the help of a SPSS software package. The results showed that the raindrop diameters ranged from 0.2 to 5.16 mm at different rainfall intensities. Statistical comparison of the methods using the Duncan test showed that the flour-pellet method presented similar results to the photographic technique; it was concluded that this can be used as a practical and inexpensive method to estimate a wide range of raindrop sizes.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Citation Sadeghi, S.H., Abdollahi, Z., and Khaledi Darvishan, A., 2013. Experimental comparison of some techniques for estimating natural raindrop size distribution on the south coast of the Caspian Sea, Iran. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (6), 1374–1382.     

Design,manufacture and calibration of the SARI portable rainfall simulator for field and laboratory experiments

The Simulator of Artificial RaInfall (SARI) rainfall simulator (RS) is a newly designed, constructed and calibrated, portable, two-nozzle RS with low water consumption, accurate measurement, easy management and low cost. The raindrop size distribution and velocity and mean rainfall intensity were measured. The best rainfall spatial distribution was achieved with nozzles separated by 50, 60 and 70 cm, and with oscillation angles of 30, 45 and 60°, at a pressure of 60 kPa. The uniformity coefficient varied from 57 to 61% and rainfall intensity from 48 to 101 mm h^?1. The raindrop diameter varied from 0.2 to 9.9 mm. The raindrop velocity at the optimum pressure of 60 kPa, which was measured with high-speed photography, ranged from 1.1 to 7.1 m s^?1. Comparison with other RSs shows that the SARI simulator is a suitable apparatus to research soil erosion and runoff generation under laboratory and field conditions.     

Reliability of rainfall kinetic power–intensity relationships

The rainfall erosivity plays a fundamental role in water soil erosion processes and it can be expressed by its kinetic power. At first in this paper, the raindrop‐size distributions measured, in the period June 2006–March 2014, by an optical disdrometer installed at the Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences of University of Palermo are aggregated into rainfall intensity classes, having different ranges, and the measured kinetic power values are determined. Measured kinetic power values are initially used for testing the applicability of the kinetic power‐rainfall intensity relationships proposed by Wischmeier and Smith ( 1978 ), used in Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), Brown and Foster ( 1987 ) (RUSLE), and McGregor et al. ( 1995 ) (RUSLE2). Then, the reliability of a theoretical relationship for estimating the kinetic power by rainfall intensity and median volume diameter is verified. Finally, using the literature available datasets, corresponding to measurements carried out by different techniques and in different geographical sites, the analysis demonstrated that the rainfall intensity is not sufficient to determine the rainfall kinetic power. On the contrary, the theoretically deduced relationship allows to reproduce adequately the kinetic power of all available datasets, demonstrating that the knowledge of both rainfall intensity and median volume diameter allows a reliable estimate of the rainfall erosivity.     

Rain properties controlling soil splash detachment

Laboratory experiments have been conducted to study the effects of various rain properties on sand detachment resulting from raindrop impact. Splash cups were exposed to simulated rainfall intensities ranging between 10 and 140 mm h⁻¹. The detached sand was collected and weighed whereas rain intensity, equivalent drop diameter and fall velocity of raindrops were measured with an optical spectro‐pluviometer (OSP). The properties of the simulated rain (i.e. median volume diameter and kinetic energy) were compared with those observed in natural conditions. Statistical analyses have been undertaken in order to evaluate which rain variable best predicts the mass of sand detached. Linear and non‐linear correlations between the mass of detached sediment and the product of drop size (d) by drop velocity (v), i.e. D^αV^β, with values of α varying between 1 and 6 and β between 0 and 3, have been computed. The results indicate that the coefficient of determination (R²) for α ranging between 3 and 5 and β lower or equal to 2 are satisfying. Although kinetic energy (D³V²) described splash detachment relatively well, the product of momentum by drop diameter (D⁴V) was slightly superior in describing splash detachment. Therefore, the momentum multiplied by the drop diameter is recommended as the best rain variable to describe splash detachment. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of three types of laser optical disdrometers under natural rainfall conditions

ABSTRACT

Optical disdrometers can be used to estimate rainfall erosivity; however, the relative accuracy of different disdrometers is unclear. This study compared three types of optical laser-based disdrometers to quantify differences in measured rainfall characteristics and to develop correction factors for kinetic energy (KE). Two identical PWS100 (Campbell Scientific), one Laser Precipitation Monitor (Thies Clima) and a first-generation Parsivel (OTT) were collocated with a weighing rain gauge (OTT Pluvio²) at a site in Austria. All disdrometers underestimated total rainfall compared to the rain gauge with relative biases from 2% to 29%. Differences in drop size distribution and velocity resulted in different KE estimates. By applying a linear regression to the KE–intensity relationship of each disdrometer, a correction factor for KE between the disdrometers was developed. This factor ranged from 1.15 to 1.36 and allowed comparison of KE between different disdrometer types despite differences in measured drop size and velocity.     

Mechanics of interrill erosion with wind‐driven rain

The vector physics of wind‐driven rain (WDR) differs from that of wind‐free rain, and the interrill soil detachment equations in the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model were not originally developed to deal with this phenomenon. This article provides an evaluation of the performance of the interrill component of the WEPP model for WDR events. The interrill delivery rates were measured in the wind tunnel facility of the International Center for Eremology (ICE), Ghent University, Belgium with an experimental setup to study different raindrop impact velocity vectors. Synchronized wind and rain simulations with wind velocities of 6, 10 and 14 m s^–1 were applied to a test surface placed on windward and leeward slopes of 7, 15 and 20%. Since both rainfall intensity and raindrop impact velocity varied greatly depending on differences in the horizontal wind velocity under WDRs, the resultant kinetic energy flux (KE_r, in J m^–2 s^–1) was initially used in place of the WEPP model intensity term in order to incorporate the effect of wind on impact velocity and frequency of raindrops. However, our results showed only minor improvement in the model predictions. For all research data, the model Coefficients of Determination (r²) were 0·63 and 0·71, when using the WEPP and the KE_r approaches, respectively. Alternately, integrating the angle of rain incidence into the model by vectorally partitioning normal kinetic energy flux (KE_rn, in J m^–2 s^–1) from the KE_r greatly improved the model's ability to estimate the interrill sediment delivery rates (r² = 0·91). This finding suggested that along with the fall trajectory of wind‐driven raindrops with a given frequency, raindrop velocity and direction at the point of impact onto the soil surface provided sufficient physical information to improve WEPP sediment delivery rate predictions under WDR. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interrill erosion on cultivated Greek soils: modelling sediment delivery

For interrill erosion, raindrop‐induced detachment and transport of sediment by rainfall‐disturbed sheet flow are the predominant processes, while detachment by sheet flow and transport by raindrop impact are negligible. In general, interrill subprocesses are inter‐actively affected by rainfall, soil and surface properties. The objective of this work was to study the relationships among interrill runoff and sediment loss and some selected para‐meters, for cultivated soils in central Greece, and also the development of a formula for predicting single storm sediment delivery. Runoff and soil loss measurement field experiments have been conducted for a 3·5‐year period, under natural storms. The soils studied were developed on Tertiary calcareous materials and Quaternary alluvial deposits and were textured from sandy loam to clay. The second group of soils showed greater susceptibility to sealing and erosion than the first group. Single storm sediment loss was mainly affected by rain and runoff erosivity, being significantly correlated with rain kinetic energy (r = 0·64***), its maximum 30‐minute intensity (r = 0·64***) and runoff amount (r = 0·56***). Runoff had the greatest correlation with rain kinetic energy (r = 0·64***). A complementary effect on soil loss was detected between rain kinetic energy and its maximum 30‐minute intensity. The same was true for rain kinetic energy and topsoil aggregate instability, on surface seal formation and thus on infiltration characteristics and overland flow rate. Empirical analysis showed that the following formula can be used for the successful prediction of sediment delivery (D_i): D_i = 0·638βEI₃₀tan(θ) (R² = 0·893***), where β is a topsoil aggregate instability index, E the rain kinetic energy, I₃₀ the maximum 30‐minute rain intensity and θ the slope angle. It describes soil erodibility using a topsoil aggregate instability index, which can be determined easily by a simple laboratory technique, and runoff through the product of this index and rain kinetic energy. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring drop size distribution and kinetic energy of rainfall using a force transducer

The relatively high cost of commercially available raindrop spectrometers and disdrometers has inhibited detailed and intensive research on drop size distribution, kinetic energy and momentum of rainfall which are important for understanding and modelling soil erosion caused by raindrop detachment. In this study, an approach to find the drop size distribution, momentum and kinetic energy of rainfall using a relatively inexpensive device that uses a piezoelectric force transducer for sensing raindrop impact response is introduced. The instrument continuously and automatically records, on a time‐scale, the amplitude of electrical pulses produced by the impact of raindrops on the surface of the transducer. The size distribution of the raindrops and their respective kinetic energy are calculated by analysing the number and amplitude of pulses recorded, and from the measured volume of total rainfall using a calibration curve. Simultaneous measurements of the instrument, a rain gauge and a dye‐stain method were used to assess the performance of the instrument. Test results from natural and simulated rainfalls are presented. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental study of extreme shear stress for shallow flow under simulated rainfall

The raindrop impact and overland flow are two major factors causing soil detachment and particle transportation. In this study, the turbulent characteristics of the shallow rain‐impacted water flow were investigated using a 2‐D fibre‐optic laser Doppler velocimetry (FLDV) and an artificial rainfall simulator. The fluctuating turbulent shear stress was computed using digital data processing techniques. The experimental data showed that the Reynolds shear stress follows a probability distribution with heavy tails. The tail probability increases with an increase of rainfall intensity or raindrop diameter, and it decreases with an increase of Reynolds number. A modified empirical equation was derived using both the raindrop diameter and rainfall intensity as independent variables to provide a better prediction of the Darcy‐Weisbach friction coefficient f under rainfall conditions. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of piezoelectric transducers in simulated rainfall erosivity assessment

Abstract

Rainfall simulators have often been used to mimic natural rainfall for studies of various land-surface and water interaction processes. The characteristics of the simulated rainfall are the main indicators used to judge the performance of the rainfall simulators. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential of piezoelectric transducers for measuring and evaluating a dripper-type simulated rainfall drop-size distribution (DSD) and kinetic energy (KE). The directly measured KE was significantly correlated with the estimated KE using the drop-size distribution and empirical rain drop fall velocity relationships. This result emphasizes the potential use of the piezoelectric sensor to directly measure and evaluate rainfall kinetic energy. Also, the relationship between rainfall intensity and KE showed good patterns of agreement between simulated rainfall and natural rainfall.

Citation Abd Elbasit, M. A. M., Yasuda, H. & Salmi, A. (2011) Application of piezoelectric transducers in simulated rainfall erosivity assessment. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(1), 187–194.     

A portable rainfall simulator for field assessment of splash and slopewash in remote locations

This paper describes the design, operation and performance of a field‐portable ‘drip‐type’ simulator and erosion measurement system. The system was constructed specifically for soil erosion research in the humid tropics and has been used extensively in Malaysian Borneo. The simulator is capable of producing replicable storms of up to 200 mm h^?1 intensity and 20–30 minutes duration with a drop‐size distribution close to that of natural storms of such intensity (D₅₀ of simulated rainfall is 4·15 mm at 200 mm h^?1 and 3·65 mm at 160 mm h^?1, D⁵⁰ measured during natural rainfall = 3·25 mm). The simulator is portable and simply constructed and operates without a motor or electronics, thus making it particularly useful in remote, mountainous areas. The erosion measurement system allows assessment of: (1) rainsplash detachment and net downslope transport from the erosion plot; (2) slopewash (erosion transported by overland flow); and (3) infiltration capacity and overland flow. The performance of the simulator–erosion system compared with previous systems is assessed with reference to experiments carried out in primary and regenerating tropical rainforest at Danum Valley (Malaysian Borneo). The system was found to compare favourably with previous field simulators, producing a total storm kinetic energy of 727 J m^?2 (over a 20‐minute storm event) and a kinetic energy rate of 0·61 J m^?2 s^?1, approximately half that experienced on the ground during a natural rainfall event of similar intensity, despite the shorter distance to the ground. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling raindrop impact and splash erosion processes within a spatial cell: a stochastic approach

A new approach is proposed to simulate splash erosion on local soil surfaces. Without the effect of wind and other raindrops, the impact of free‐falling raindrops was considered as an independent event from the stochastic viewpoint. The erosivity of a single raindrop depending on its kinetic energy was computed by an empirical relationship in which the kinetic energy was expressed as a power function of the equivalent diameter of the raindrop. An empirical linear function combining the kinetic energy and soil shear strength was used to estimate the impacted amount of soil particles by a single raindrop. Considering an ideal local soil surface with size of 1 m × 1 m, the expected number of received free‐falling raindrops with different diameters per unit time was described by the combination of the raindrop size distribution function and the terminal velocity of raindrops. The total splash amount was seen as the sum of the impact amount by all raindrops in the rainfall event. The total splash amount per unit time was subdivided into three different components, including net splash amount, single impact amount and re‐detachment amount. The re‐detachment amount was obtained by a spatial geometric probability derived using the Poisson function in which overlapped impacted areas were considered. The net splash amount was defined as the mass of soil particles collected outside the splash dish. It was estimated by another spatial geometric probability in which the average splashed distance related to the median grain size of soil and effects of other impacted soil particles and other free‐falling raindrops were considered. Splash experiments in artificial rainfall were carried out to validate the availability and accuracy of the model. Our simulated results suggested that the net splash amount and re‐detachment amount were small parts of the total splash amount. Their proportions were 0·15% and 2·6%, respectively. The comparison of simulated data with measured data showed that this model could be applied to simulate the soil‐splash process successfully and needed information of the rainfall intensity and original soil properties including initial bulk intensity, water content, median grain size and some empirical constants related to the soil surface shear strength, the raindrop size distribution function and the average splashed distance. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinetic energy–rainfall intensity relationship for Central Cebu, Philippines for soil erosion studies

In the study of soil erosion, specifically on detachment of soil particles by raindrop impact, kinetic energy is a commonly suggested indicator of the raindrop's ability to detach soil particles from the soil mass. Since direct measurement of kinetic energy requires sophisticated and costly instruments, the alternative approach is to estimate it from rainfall intensity. The present study aims at establishing a relationship between rainfall intensity and kinetic energy for rainfalls in Central Cebu, Philippines as a preface of a wider regional investigation.

Drop size distributions of rainfalls were measured using the disdrometer RD-80. There are two forms of kinetic energy considered here. One is kinetic energy per unit area per unit time (KE_R, J m⁻² h⁻¹) and the other is kinetic energy per unit area per unit depth (KE, J m⁻² mm⁻¹). Relationships between kinetic energy per unit area per unit time (KE_R) and rainfall intensity (I) were obtained using linear and power relations. The exponential model and the logarithmic model were fitted to the KE–I data to obtain corresponding relationships between kinetic energy per unit area per unit depth of rainfall (KE) and rainfall intensity (I). The equation obtained from the exponential model produced smaller standard error of estimates than the logarithmic model.