Premium
Use of 137 Cs measurements to investigate soil erosion on arable fields in the UK: potential applications and limitations
Author(s) -
WALLING D. E.,
QUINE T. A.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1991.tb00099.x
Subject(s) - arable land , erosion , environmental science , hazard , sediment , soil loss , deposition (geology) , hydrology (agriculture) , soil science , geology , geography , ecology , agriculture , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , archaeology , biology
SUMMARY Recent awareness of the potential hazard of soil erosion on arable land in the UK has highlighted the lack of reliable data concerning actual rates of soil loss. This lack of information reflects both a low level of interest, and the lack of a simple and generally applicable method of documenting long‐term rates of soil loss. Existing methods involving the use of hazard classification procedures and direct measurement techniques, including erosion plots and field surveys, all possess significant limitations. The use of 137 Cs measurements to provide information on rates of soil loss and deposition averaged over the past 30 years would appear to offer considerable potential. The results of applying this approach to three arable fields on contrasting soil types in Britain are reported. These results confirm the viability of the technique and its potential for providing information on patterns and rates of erosion and deposition within individual fields and their overall sediment budgets. Limitations include the restricted size of the areas that can be investigated and the need to take account of additional inputs of 137 Cs derived from the Chernobyl accident.