Soil Erosion Estimation of Palasbari in Northeast India by RUSLE Model

Authors

  • Karishma Sarma Department. of Geography, Cotton University, Guwahati 781001, India
  • Parag Jyoti Dutta Department of Geology, Cotton University, Guwahati 781001, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/

Keywords:

Soil erosion, RUSLE, Remote sensing, GIS, Palasbari

Abstract

Soil erosion is a serious problem and its estimation at a large scale is an urgent need. This study aims to  estimate the annual soil loss in Palasbari town (639 km2) applying the Revised Universal Soil Loss  Equation (RUSLE) model on a GIS platform. The study area comprising Palasbari town is located in the  state of Assam in Northeast India. The annual soil loss rate varies from 0 to 3779t ha-1 yr-1 and the mean  annual rate of soil loss is 42 t ha-1 yr-1. The soil loss values are categorised into four classes of severity i.e.  slight, moderate, severe and extreme soil erosion. Based on spatial analysis, it is found that areas with high  slope length and steep slope with heavy and high intensity precipitation are more prone to soil erosion. It is  concluded that steep slopes, frequent flooding, sandy soil, destruction of vegetation cover are the main  causes of soil erosion in the study area. 

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JOURNAL-D-13-00027.1

Published

2021-12-15

How to Cite

Sarma, K., & Dutta, P.J. (2021). Soil Erosion Estimation of Palasbari in Northeast India by RUSLE Model . Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences-Geology , 40(2), 129–141. https://doi.org/10.48165/