ABSTRACT:
The methods commonly used to measure surface roughness involve measuring point elevation using a pin roughness meter or laser, both of which are labor intensive and expensive. A simple, fast, and inexpensive technique is needed to determine soil roughness in the field in order to obtain measurement for wide spread application. A method using a roller chain was developed to measure soil roughness. The chain method is based on the principle that as a chain of a given length, L1, is placed across a surface, the horizontal distance covered L2, will decrease as the roughness increases. The chain length reduction caused by roughness was calculated as soil roughness. Roughness values obtained from the chain and those obtained by a multiple pin roughness meter were highly correlated (R2 = 0.%, P < 0.01). The results demonstrated the sensitivity of the chain method to soil surface roughness. A predictive equation was developed to predict roughness factor, Kr [currently used in the Wind Erosion Equation (WEZ)] from the chain method. The chain method is inexpensive, fast, and easy to use and requires little training and no technical experience. It can provide a feasible technique to obtain roughness measurements.
Footnotes
Ali Saleh is a soil scientist with the Agricultural Research Service, Conservation System Research Lab, Big Spring, TX. The author would like to acknowledge D.W. Fryrear and J.D. Bilbro for their helpful comments.
- Copyright 1993 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
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