1
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland
AG 2021
E. Duulatov et al., Current and Future Trends of Rainfall Erosivity and Soil
Erosion in Central Asia, SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63509-1_1
Chapter 1
Introduction and Background of Rainfall
Erosivity Processes and Soil Erosion
Abstract Climate change-induced precipitation variability is the leading cause of
rainfall erosivity that leads to excessive soil losses in most countries of the world.
Central Asia is included in the list of regions that are very vulnerable to the adverse
effects of climate change. Climatic factors largely control rainfall erosivity and soil
erosion. Consequently, changes in precipitation can affect the spatial distribution of
the soil. Climate change is expected to affect erosivity in Central Asia and other
regions of the globe. This chapter provides an overview of background on rainfall
erosivity processes and soil erosion. It considers, evaluates, and analyses global
climate scenario data, the predicted impact of climate change on rainfall erosivity
along with the soil erosion models.
Keywords Rainfall erosivity · Soil erosion · Central Asia · Climate change ·
Tien-Shan · Precipitation · Impact · CMIP5 · GCMs · RUSLE · GIS · RS ·
Spatiotemporal variability · Spatiotemporal characteristics
1.1 Rainfall Erosivity Processes
Rainfall erosivity, the R factor, which combines the influence of the duration, magnitude, and intensity of precipitation, is vital for many soil erosion models (Lai et al.
2016). It cannot be modified by humans, and it differs from soil characteristics,
vegetation cover, and soil conservation (Angulo-Martínez and Beguería 2009).
Rainfall erosivity is concerned with the potential ability of precipitation to cause
erosion, so it reflects the risk of soil erosion when the condition of the underlying
surface is unchanged for the region (Gu et al. 2018). In the Revised Universal Soil
Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, rainfall erosivity is initially defined as the precipitation energy multiplied by the maximum 30-min precipitation intensity (EI 30 ), and
the annual R is the sum of EI 30 , which is calculated from the recorded precipitation
(Renard et al. 1997; Wischmeier and Smith 1978).
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland
AG 2021
E. Duulatov et al., Current and Future Trends of Rainfall Erosivity and Soil
Erosion in Central Asia, SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-63509-1_1
Chapter 1
Introduction and Background of Rainfall
Erosivity Processes and Soil Erosion
Abstract Climate change-induced precipitation variability is the leading cause of
rainfall erosivity that leads to excessive soil losses in most countries of the world.
Central Asia is included in the list of regions that are very vulnerable to the adverse
effects of climate change. Climatic factors largely control rainfall erosivity and soil
erosion. Consequently, changes in precipitation can affect the spatial distribution of
the soil. Climate change is expected to affect erosivity in Central Asia and other
regions of the globe. This chapter provides an overview of background on rainfall
erosivity processes and soil erosion. It considers, evaluates, and analyses global
climate scenario data, the predicted impact of climate change on rainfall erosivity
along with the soil erosion models.
Keywords Rainfall erosivity · Soil erosion · Central Asia · Climate change ·
Tien-Shan · Precipitation · Impact · CMIP5 · GCMs · RUSLE · GIS · RS ·
Spatiotemporal variability · Spatiotemporal characteristics
1.1 Rainfall Erosivity Processes
Rainfall erosivity, the R factor, which combines the influence of the duration, magnitude, and intensity of precipitation, is vital for many soil erosion models (Lai et al.
2016). It cannot be modified by humans, and it differs from soil characteristics,
vegetation cover, and soil conservation (Angulo-Martínez and Beguería 2009).
Rainfall erosivity is concerned with the potential ability of precipitation to cause
erosion, so it reflects the risk of soil erosion when the condition of the underlying
surface is unchanged for the region (Gu et al. 2018). In the Revised Universal Soil
Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, rainfall erosivity is initially defined as the precipitation energy multiplied by the maximum 30-min precipitation intensity (EI 30 ), and
the annual R is the sum of EI 30 , which is calculated from the recorded precipitation
(Renard et al. 1997; Wischmeier and Smith 1978).