Call for Papers

Laboratory and Field Experiments on Soil and Rainfall Characteristics for Studying Water Erosion Processes

Submission deadline: Tuesday, 31 December 2024

Accelerated soil water erosion is a significant issue that leads, in a relatively short time, to environmental conditions unsuitable for plant growth and crop production. Soil erosion processes determine the occurrence of several on-site and off-site impacts, such as yield losses in agricultural lands, thinning and crusting of topsoil, reduced water infiltration, loss of pollutants via leaching and runoff, loss of reservoir storage, sedimentation into channels leading to flooding and decreasing dry-water flow, and eutrophication of waterways and contamination due to fertilizer and chemical pesticides. Moreover, in this climatic change scenario, characterized by the normalization of extraordinary rainfall events, the study of rainfall characteristics represents a primary theme requiring particular attention. Although recently, many progresses have been made in studying the variables characterizing rainfall and soil erosion phenomena and modelling soil loss at different temporal and spatial (plot, hillslope, basin) scales, a substantial effort is still required to improve the knowledge about these complex processes.

The special issue should collect papers dealing with laboratory and field experiments for measuring soil erosion and rainfall characteristics at different spatial (plot, hillslope, basin) and temporal (rainfall event, year, long period) scales. Papers regarding the application of soil conservation practices are also welcomed.

The submission window opens on 1 September 2023.


Topics for this call for papers include but not restricted to:

  • Measurements of plot soil loss;
  • Measurements of watershed sediment yield;
  • Measurements of rainfall characteristics;
  • Characterization of rainfall simulator;
  • Raindrop size distribution;
  • Direct measurement of eroded volumes;
  • Use of UAV and Terrestrial survey to characterize erosive phenomena;
  • Soil management strategies to reduce erosive processes;
  • Soil conservation practices;
  • Badland areas.

Guest Editors:

Vito Ferro
University of Palermo,
Italy

Dennis C. Flanagan
USDA: National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory,
United States of America

Estela Nadal-Romero
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, IPE-CSIC,
Spain

Alessio Nicosia
University of Palermo,
Italy

Maria Angela Serio
University of Palermo,
Italy


Keywords: Soil erosion; Soil conservation; Rills; Gullies; Overland flows; Rainfall erosivity, Raindrop size distribution; Kinetic power; Badland.


Submission Guidelines/Instructions:

Please refer to the Author Guidelines to prepare your manuscript. When submitting your manuscript, please answer the question "Is this submission for a special issue?" by selecting the special issue title from the drop-down list.

All submitted papers must follow the Hydrological Processes Author Guidelines on article preparation.

Submit now