Physical Degradation and Particle Detachment Capacity of Rill in Relation to Rainfall Intensity and Raindrop Impact in a Marl Soil

Rill erosion is the first step in soil erosion process in the hillslopes, particularly in arid and semiarid regions. This study was conducted to investigate the role of rainfall intensity and raindrop impact on the physical properties of soils and particle detachment capacity (Dc) in a marl soil. Marl soil samples were filled into the flumes with 4 m long and 0.9 m wide and exposed to simulated rainfalls with different intensity varying from 10 mm h-1 to 100 mm h-1. Particle Size Distribution (PSD), aggregate size, porosity, crust thickness, and Dc were determined in each rainfall simulation. The results found that the physical soil properties i.e. PSD, aggregate size, porosity and crust thickness (P