Comparing measurements, 7Be radiotracer technique and process-based erosion model for estimating short-term soil loss from cultivated land in Northern Germany

Abstract

Due to changing climate and irregular weather patterns, event-based soil loss and sediment yield have become important issues in the agricultural areas. Several mathematical models and prediction methodologies have been used to estimate event-based soil loss and soil redistribution based on soil types, land management, hydrology and local topography. The use of short-lived beryllium-7 as a means of estimating event-based soil erosion/deposition rates has become an alternative to the traditional soil loss measurement methods. A new erosion model taking into account the movement of 7Be in soils has been presented recently. In order to direct the attention to the potential offered by this technique (measurements and mathematical model), a two-year study was performed at the erosion plots in Müncheberg, Germany, and twelve individual erosion rates were estimated. This paper presents a systematic comparison of the non-steady state 7Be model with the process-based erosion model EROSION-3D and measured data. The results demonstrate a close consistency between the erosion rates estimated by erosion models and the estimates provided by the 7Be model and can therefore be seen as a promising contribution to validating the use of this radionuclide to document short-term soil redistribution within the plot and deposited sediment at the bottom of the plot.