PRORIL - an erosion model using probability distributions for rill flow and density. II. Model validation

PRORIL was compared to measured erosion using the Kentucky rainfall simulator for three topsoil and three subsoil plots that were bare and prepared with rough and smooth surfaces. Additional studies were conducted to measure interrill erosion using a single nozzle rainfall simulator. Measured soil erosion and hydrologic parameters were compiled from these field studies for the PRORIL model and used for model validation for the 12 erosion plots. The coefficients of variation of the PRORIL model estimates were comparable to other erosion model validation studies. PRORIL realistically simulates the spatially distributed nature of rill spacings and rill flow rates and provides a new framework to analyze and simulate erosion as a stochastic process. -from Authors