International Journal of Economic Plants 2015, 2(4):178-180 Review Article

Soil Erosion: Types and Their Mechanism

S. G. Telkar*, Shivendu Pratap Singh Solanki, Joy Kumar Dey and Kamal Kant

Dept. of Agriculture, Jagannath University, Chaksu, Jaipur, Rajasthan (303 901), India

Corresponding Author Article Histor y

S. G. Telkar Article ID: IJEP67
e-mail:telkarshivkumar53@gmail.com Received in 9th August, 2015
Received in revised form 7th September, 2015
Accepted in final form 3rd October, 2015
Abstract
Soil erosion is a universal phenomenon. Out of the 328.7 m ha of India’s geographical area about 175 m ha (53.3%) is subjected to soil
erosion and some kind of land degradation. Soil erosion is one form of soil degradation along with soil compaction, low organic matter,
and loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinization, and soil acidity problems. This other forms of soil degradation, serious in
them; usually contribute to accelerated soil erosion. There are several factors responsible for soil erosion. Soil conservation is an essential
practice for getting good crop production from all regions especially from arid and semi-arid areas. In arid and semi-arid regions these two
factors are major indicators of soil quality. Low soil moisture leads to erosion by wind and excess water leads to leaching of nutrients. So,
soil erosion is the major threat to dry regions of the country. This article reviews the various types of soil erosion and mechanisms behind.
This information is essential for adopting suitable soil conservation strategy.

Key words:

1. Introduction • Deposition: Where the topsoil ends up after this process.

The problem of soil erosion exists all over the country. Out 2. Natural or Geological or Normal Soil Erosion
of the 328.7 m ha of India’s geographical area about 175 m
ha (53.3%) is subjected to soil erosion and some kind of land When the top soils are gradually removed under normal
degradation (Brady, 2010). Soil erosion is one form of soil conditions of physical, biotic and hydrological equilibrium it is
degradation along with soil compaction, low organic matter, called normal erosion. Sometimes, it is also called geological
and lossof soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinization, erosion it take place steadily but long time slowly which
and soil acidity problems. This otherforms of soil degradation, developed the present topographic feature like valley, plains,
serious in them; usually contribute to accelerated soil erosion. stream, channel etc. It is very slow process in which complete
Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process on all land. The equilibrium is maintained between soil removing and soil
agents of soil erosion are water andwind, each contributing forming processes. The normal erosion tends to produce
a significant amount of soil loss each year. Soil erosion may wavy or undulating land surface with alternating ridges and
be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed, or it depressions. This is accomplished chiefly by means of slow
may occur at analarming rate causing serious loss of topsoil. migration of soil particles from soil surface in successive rains.
The loss of soil from farmland may be reflected inreduced In arid region, wind during the long dry season is an important
crop production potential, lower surface water quality and factor for normal erosion. Nature requires, on an average,
damaged drainage networks. about 1000 years building up 2.5cm of top soil, but wrong
farming methods may be take place only a few years to erode
Detachment and transportation of top soil particles by wind it from lands of average slope (Weil et al., 2016).
and/or water is known as soil erosion (Shi, 2012).
The process of soil erosion is made up of three parts: 3. Accelerated Soil Erosion

• Detachment: This is when the topsoil is actually “detached” It occurs due to disturbance in natural equilibrium by the
from the rest of the ground. activity of men and animal through land mismanagement,
• Movement: This is when the topsoil is relocated to another destruction of forests, over grazing etc. When the removal of
area. soil does not keep harmony with the soil formation and it is

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Telkar et al., 2015

much faster than the latter, it is called accelerated soil erosion. ravines found in deep alluvial soils. It is nothing but deep and
Agencies or mechanism of soil erosion wide gullies.
• Water erosion 1.1.6. Landslides or slip erosion
• Wind erosion This type of soil erosion is caused by heavy rainfall and it
occurs in sloppy lands, such as mountains and hilly areas with
• Biotic erosion slope is >20%. In this type of erosion when the running water
1.1. Water erosion percolates through the crevices of rocks great masses of soils
Soil erosion caused by rainfall is the application of energy and loose rocks lying on the steep slopes slip downward. The
from two distinct sources namely (i) the falling rain drops and immediate cause of a slide may be an earthquake, or a heavy
(ii) the surface flow. The energy of falling raindrop is applied rainfall, which unduly saturates the ground or part of road.
vertically from above, whereas that of surface flow is applied 1.1.7. Stream bank erosion
more or less horizontally along the surface of the ground. The On the banks of swollen rivers it is most active. During the
chief role of the falling of rain drop on ground is to detach soil rainy season when fast running water streams take turn in
particle, whereas that of the surface flow is to transport the some other directions, they cut the soil and make caves in
soil. The falling of raindrop also makes a major contribution the banks. As a result of this, quite often large masses of soils
to the movement of the soil on unprotected sloping lands become detached and washed away from the banks and are
during the period of heavy impact storms, by splashing large deposited at places in course of streams.
quantities down slope.
1.2. Wind erosion
Soil erosion caused by water can be distinguished in different
forms, viz (1) splash erosion, (2) sheet erosion, (3) rill erosion, Wind erosion takes place normally in arid and semi arid areas
(4) gully erosion, (5) ravine erosion, (6) landslides, and (7) devoid of vegetation, where the wind velocity is high. The
stream-bank erosion. soil particles on the land surface are lifted and blown off as
dust storms. When the velocity of the dust bearing wind is
1.1.1. Splash erosion retarded, coarser soil particles are deposited in the form of
Remove of soil particles due t rain drops is called splash dunes and thus fertile lands are rendered unfit for cultivation.
erosion. In other place, fertile soil is blown away by winds and the
1.1.2. Sheet erosion subsoil is exposed, as a result the productive capacity of
the soil is considerably reduced.Lifting and abrasive action
Sheet erosion means removes a thin uniform covering of top
of wind results in detachment of tiny soil particlesfrom the
productive/surface soil from large areas, often from field, more
granules or clods. The impact of these rapidly moving particles
or less, during every rain which produces a run-off. This type
dislodgeother particles from clods and aggregates. These
of erosion is very insidious, since it keeps the cultivator almost
dislodged particles are ready formovement. Movement of
ignorant of its ill-effect. It is also known as death of farmers.
soil particles in wind erosion is initiated when the pressureby
1.1.3. Rill erosion the wind against the surface soil grains overcomes the force
When runoff starts, channelization begins and erosion is no of gravity on thegrains.
longer uniform. Raindrop impact does not directly detach any Wind is responsible for three types of soil movement in the
particles below flow line in rills but increases the detachment process of wind erosion. They are known as (i) saltation (ii)
and transportation capacity of the flow. Rills are small suspension and (iii) surface creep.
channels, which can be removed by timely normal tillage
1.2.1. Saltation
operations.
The major portion of soil carried by the win is moved in a
1.1.4. Gully erosion
series of short bounces called “saltation”. The soil carried in
It is more prominent type of erosion in which heavy rainfall, a saltation consists of fine particles ranging from 0.1 to 0.5
rapidly running water and transporting water may result mm in diameter. About 50-75% of soil erosion by wind carried
in deeper cavities or grooves called gullies. Gullies may be out by saltation. Saltation is caused by the direct pressure of
‘V shaped or ‘U’ shaped. Gullies cut the large fields into wind on soil particles and their collision with other particles.
small fragments and, in course of time, make them unfit for After being pushed along the ground surface by the wind, the
cultivation uncultivable. Continuous flow of water through particles leap almost vertically in the first stages of saltation.
gullies further deepens the grooves and may ultimately result
1.2.2. Suspension
in ravines. Ravines are 15 to 30 cm in deep and with steep
vertical sides. Movement of fine dust particles smaller than 0.1 mm
diameter by floating in the air is known as suspension. Soil
1.1.5. Ravines erosion
particles carried in suspension are deposited when the
It is prolonged and advance stage of gully erosion leads to sedimentation force is greater than the force holding the

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International Journal of Economic Plants 2015, 2(4):178-180

particles in suspension. This occurs with decrease in wind washed away by rains. The loss of soil is too much and the
velocity. Suspension usually may not account for more than fields become uncultivable.
15% of total movement. 4. Forest fires are responsible for burning down forest trees
1.2.3. Surface creep on huge scale.
Soil particles, larger than about 0.5 mm in diameter but smaller 5. Faulty agricultural methods—Sometimes farmers do not
than 3.0 mm, are too heavy to be moved in saltation but rolled care towards leveling and terracing of their upland fields.
and sliding along the surface by the pressure of wind and Rainfall washes away the top soil and results in erosion.
hitting during saltation. About 5-25 % of soil erosion carried 6. Over-grazing by cattle causes removal of vegetation cover
out by surface creep. About 90% of the total soil movement of the soil.
in wind erosion is below the height of 30 cm and about 50%
of it is within 5 cm of the ground level. 3. Conclusion
1.3. Biotic agencies causing soil erosion Soil and water are two most important factors which governs
1. Excessive grazing, deforestation, undesirable forest biota, all physical and chemical process of soils. Soil conservation is
and mechanical practices by man are important factors which an essential practice for getting good crop production from
cause soil erosion. Deforestation is the commonest factor all regions especially from arid and semi-arid areas. In arid
which is responsible for soil erosion. and semi-arid regions these two factors are major indicators
2. Grazing is yet another destructive biological factor for the of soil quality. Low soil moisture leads to erosion by wind and
soil erosion. Cattle and sheep during the summer graze the excess water leads to leaching of nutrients. So, soil erosion is
forest vegetation and make the soil bare. the major threat to dry regions of the country.

3. Shifting cultivations. Shifting cultivations are usually noted in 5. References

the mountains which are geographically young and degraded
Brady, N.C., Weil, R.R., 2010.  Elements of the nature and
into soil easily and the whole of the land is covered with a thick
properties of soils (No. 631.4 B733E.). Pearson Prentice
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or bush cover by felling and burning for shifting cultivation
Shi, Z.H., Fang, N.F., Wu, F.Z., Wang, L., Yue, B. J., Wu, G.L., 2012.
and the resulting exposure of the bare soil to rams and sun,
Soil erosion processes and sediment sorting associated
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with transport mechanisms on steep slopes. Journal of
surface layer of the soil and large quantity of plant nutrients
Hydrology 454, 123-130.
are washed away under the influence of intense rainfall.
Weil, R.R., Brady, N. C., Weil, R. R., 2016.  The nature and
Shifting cultivation is a major problem in the hilly areas of
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River, NJ, USA, 881.
Orissa. Fields on steep slopes are cultivated and top soil is

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