• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.337-343
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• 2011

A particular empirical equation for rainfall kinetic energy is needed to compute rainfall erosivity, calculated by the annual sum of the product of total rainfall energy and maximum 30-min rainfall intensity. If rainfall kinetic energy equation was different, rainfall erosivity will be produced differently. However, the previous studies in Korea had little concern about rainfall kinetic energy equation and it was not clear which rainfall kinetic energy is suitable for Korea. The purpose of this study is to analyze and evaluate the difference of the rainfall erosivity based on different rainfall kinetic energy equations obtained from previous studies. This study introduced new rainfall erosivity factors based on rainfall kinetic energy equation of Noe and Kwon (1984) that is only regression model developed in Korea. Data of annual rainfall erosivity for 21 weather stations in 1980~1999 were used in this study. The result showed that rainfall erosivity factors by the previous equations had been about 10~20% overestimated than rainfall erosivity by Noe and Kwon (1984)'s equation in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.15-23
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• 2018

The occurrence of soil erosions in Korea is mostly driven by flowing water which has a close relationship with rainfalls. The soil eroded by rainfalls flows into and deposits in the river and it polluted the water resources and making the rivers become difficult to be managed. Recently, the frequency of heavy rainfall events that are more than 30 mm/hr has been increasing in Korea due to the influence of climate change, which creating a favourable condition for the occurrence of soil erosion within a short time. In this study, we proposed a method to estimate the distribution of rainfall intensity and to calculate the energy produced by a single rainfall event using the cumulative distribution function that take into account of the physical characteristics of rainfall. The raindrops kinetic energy estimated by the proposed method are compared with the measured data from the previous studies and it is noticed that the raindrops kinetic energy estimated by the rainfall intensity variation is very similar to the results concluded from the previous studies. In order to develop an equation for estimating rainfall kinetic energy, rainfall particle size data measured at a rainfall intensity of 0.254~152.4 mm/hr were used. The rainfall kinetic energy estimated by applying the cumulative distribution function tended to increase in the form of a power function in the relation of rainfall intensity. Based on the equation obtained from this relationship, the rainfall kinetic energy of 1~80 mm/hr rainfall intensity was estimated to be $0.03{\sim}48.26Jm^{-2}mm^{-1}$. Based on the relationship between rainfall intensity and rainfall energy, rainfall kinetic energy equation is proposed as a power function form and it is expected that it can be used in the design of short-term operated facility such as the sizing of sedimentation basin that requires prediction of soil loss by a single rainfall event.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2020

The rainfall kinetic energy equation derived in the USA has been used in South Korea to quantitatively estimate the amount of soil erosion caused by rainfall for the past 40 years. It is critical to analyze the characteristics of rainfall kinetic energy that causes soil erosion from measured storm events in the study area because the characteristics depend on climate, region, and time. The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics in Seoul, South Korea, and the data of the Parsivel rain gauge measured in Seoul for 3 years was used for the current study. This study focuses on deriving the relationship between rainfall kinetic energy and rainfall intensity among the data measured by the Parsivel. The new rainfall kinetic energy equation in Seoul is proposed and compared with the previous equations used in South Korea.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.105-122
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• 2016

To evaluate the changes in the physical characteristics of open rainfall related to canopy effects and rainfall intensity in Korea, the terminal velocity of raindrops and drop size distributions(DSD) were continuously measured by an optical-laser disdrometer in an open site(Op) and in two forest stands(Th1: Larix leptolepis, Th2: Pinus koraiensis) during five rainfall events in 2008. The terminal velocity, DSD and two forms of kinetic energy(KE, $Jm^{-2}$ $mm^{-1}$; KER, $Jm^{-2}$ $h^{-1}$) of open rainfall drops were determined and were compared with those of throughfall drops under two different canopy heights. The effects of the canopy and rainfall intensity, together with wind speed, on the changes in drop size and kinetic energy of throughfall were evaluated. Throughfall drops were larger than open rainfall drops. The distribution of terminal velocities for the drop sizes measured at Th2 was lower than that at Op; however, at Th1 the distribution was similar to that at Op. The total kinetic energy of throughfall at Th1 and Th2 was higher than the total kinetic energy of open rainfall, and the kinetic energy distribution for the drop sizes wassimilar to the drop size distribution. The observed throughfall-KER at Th1 was lower than an estimate previously produced using a model. The overestimation from the modeled value at Th1 was likely to be due to overestimated values of a square root transformation of fall height and its coefficient in the model because the distributions of terminal velocity for the drop size measured at Th1 were similar to those of open rainfall.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.48 no.7
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• pp.595-604
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• 2015

Interrill erosion by the rainfall is divided into a detachment of soil particles by raindrop splash when raindrops having kinetic energy strike on the surface soil and a sediment transport by sheet flow of surface runoff. Rainfall kinetic energy is widely used as an indicator expressing the potential ability to separate the soil particles from soil mass. In this study, the soil erosion experiments of rainfall simulation were operated to evaluate the effects of rainfall kinetic energy on interrill erosion as using the strip cover to control raindrop impact. The kinetic energy from rainfall simulator was 0.58 times to that of natural rainfall. Surface runoff and subsurface runoff increased and decreased respectively with increase of rainfall intensity. Surface runoff discharge from plots of non-cover was 1.82 times more than that from plots with cover. The rainfall kinetic energy influenced on the starting time of surface and subsurface runoff. Soil erosion quantity greatly varied according to existence of the surface cover that can intercept rainfall energy. Sediment yields by the interaction between raindrop splash and sheet flow increased 3.6~5.9 times and the increase rates of those decreased with rainfall intensity. As a results from analysis of relationship between stream power and sediment yields, rainfall kinetic energy increased the transport capacity according to increase of surface runoff as well as the detachment of soil particles by raindrop splash.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.234-238
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• 2008

The energy conservation theory is introduced for investigating processes of runoff and soil erosion on the hillslope system changed vegetation condition by wildfire The rainfall energy, input energy consisted of kinetic and potential energy, is influenced by vegetation coverage and height. Output energy at the outlet of hillslope is decided as the kinetic energy of runoff and erosion soil, and mechanical work according to moving water and soil is influenced dominantly by the work rather than the kinetic energy. Relationship between output and input energy is possible to calculate the energy loss in the runoff and erosion process. The absolute value of the energy loss is controlled by the input energy size of rainfall because energy losses of runoff increase as many rainfall pass through the hillslope system. The energy coefficient which is dimensionless is defined as the ratio of input energy of rainfall to output energy of runoff water and erosion soil such as runoff coefficient. The energy coefficient and runoff coefficient showed the highest correlation coefficient with the vegetation coverage. Maximum energy coefficient is about 0.5 in the hillslope system. The energy theory for output energy of runoff and soil erosion is presented by the energy coefficient theory associated with vegetation factor. Also runoff and erosion soil resulting output energy have the relation of power function and the rates of these increase with rainfall.

• Proceedings of the Korea Water Resources Association Conference
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• 2022.05a
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• pp.151-151
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• 2022

The impact of raindrops on the soil surface causes soil detachment, which may be estimated by measuring the kinetic energy (KE) of the raindrops. Since direct measurements of rainfall force on ground surfaces are not generally available, empirical equations are an alternative option to estimate KE from rainfall intensity (I), which has the greatest influence over soil erosion and is easily accessible. Establishing the optimal formulation for the relationship between kinetic energy and rainfall intensity has proven to be difficult. Thus, this research considered thirty-seven rainfall events observed from June 2020 to December 2021 using a laster optical disdrometer erected in Kyungpook National University to examine the characteristics of KE-I relationships. We concentrated our discussion on the formation of two different expressions of the KE, including KE expenditure (KE_exp) and KE content (KE_con). The following conclusions were drawn: (1) We employed statistical analysis to demonstrate that the KE_exp is more suitable expression for establishing an empirical rule between KE and I than the KE_con. (2) A power-law model was used to find the best correlation between KE_exp-I relationship, whereas the best match between KE_con and I were found using an exponential equation.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.49-57
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• 2010

To evaluate physical characteristics of open rainfall in Korea, terminal velocity of raindrop and drop size distributions (DSD) were continuously measured using by laser-optical disdrometer around Gosam reservoir, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do during three rainfall events from 2008 to 2009. The relationships between kinetic energies (KE, Jm^-2mm^-1; KER, Jm^-2h^-1) and rainfall intensity were obtained, respectively. Moreover, we compared the rainfall intensity from a disdrometer with the rainfall intensity from a tipping bucket raingauge to transform the kinetic energy of rainfall using the data from a tipping bucket raingauge. Therefore, the established relationships between kinetic energies (KE and KER) and rainfall intensity could be a useful model to consider the kinetic energy of raindrop using the rainfall intensity below 40mmh^-1 of max 5-min rainfall intensity in the middle of South Korea. However, to better examine the relationship between kinetic energy and rainfall intensity, further measurement will be required.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.133-143
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• 2012

To evaluate the kinetic energy of the raindrops, the drop size distribution and the terminal velocity of the raindrops had been measured from January to September 2010 using the laser-optical disdrometer in KIGAM, Daejeon, Korea. The relationship between kinetic energy (KE) and rainfall intensity (I) was computed as logarithmic and exponential model, respectively, under the rainfall intensity of about 142mm/h. The exponential model is more suitable for the relationship of KE-I than the logarithmic model, because the exponential model presented better fit for KE over 50mm/h of rainfall intensity. Meanwhile, the differences of the total kinetic energy existed in rainfall events with almost same total rainfall depth, and KE values of Daejeon at high rainfall intensity underestimated rather than the others under temperate climate. Therefore, these differences of KE in rainfall events and geographical regions imply the result from the variations of rainfall intensity within a rainfall event.

• The Journal of the Korea institute of electronic communication sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.743-754
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• 2019

The erosive potential of precipitation can be evaluated by the kinetic energy transferred to the soil by the impact of the rain drop. A kinetic energy rate of the rain drops was estimated by the disdrometer classifying impact signals. This equation in the form of power presented an adjustment measure between the rain rate and rainfall quantity of 97% and 95% for continental and maritime rains, respectively. The exponent of the power equation, initially, shows no dependence on the type of rainfall. However, the multiplicative factor presented variation, which can be adjusted according to rainfall events. This equation was validated by the coefficient of determination, the average absolute error and the confidence error. The kinetic energy of precipitation, associated to certain types of soil, will allow the determination of the potential of the erosion caused by the rains.