Trends in rainfall erosivity in NE Spain at annual, seasonal and daily scales, 1955–2006

Abstract

Abstract. Rainsplash – the detachment and transport of soil particles by the impact of raindrops on a bare soil – is a major mechanism of soil degradation and erosion on semiarid areas and agricultural lands. Rainfall erosivity refers to the ability of precipitation to erode soil, and depends on the characteristics of the raindrops – size and velocity – and on the rainfall intensity and duration. Despite the relevance of rainfall erosivity for soil degradation prevention very few studies addressed its spatial and temporal variability. On this study the time variation of rainfall erosivity in the Ebro valley (NE Spain) is assessed for the period 1955–2006. The results show a general decrease in annual and seasonal rainfall erosivity, which is explained by a decrease of very intense rainfall events whilst the frequency of moderate and low events increased. This trend is related to prevailing positive conditions of the main atmospheric teleconnection indices affecting the West Mediterranean, i.e. the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) and the Western Mediterranean Oscillation (WeMO).