Soil Erosion in the Middle Catchments Area of Wadi Al-Hisa / Tafila
Ali Al-Shabatat, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Tafila Technical University, Tafila, Jordan.
Mousa Gougazeh, Natural Resources and Chemical Engineering Department, Tafila Technical University, Tafila, Jordan..
Abstract
This research attempts to study soil erosion caused by rain splash and by runoff in the middle catchments area of Wadi Al-Hisa (Atnur Dam) for the rainfall seasons 2007-2008 / 2008-2009. To achieve this aim, we have chosen seven sites of field measurements.
According to this investigation, it can be concluded that soil erosion by splash erosion was estimated 0.53 tons/dunm/year, and the rate of erosion by runoff in the same study site estimated at 0.628 tons/dunm/year. These figures are less than the figures estimated by many previous studies which were conducted in the East of Jordan.
Factor analysis was used to determine the variables which explain the correlation effects in the soil erosion in wadi Al-Hisa catchments area. These factors are: soil chemistry, plasticity, morphology, and soil texture.
Keywords: soil erosion, runoff erosion, splash cups, factor analysis.