TY - JOUR T1 - Annual distribution of rainfall erosivity in western Andalusia, southern Spain JF - Journal of Soil and Water Conservation SP - 390 LP - 403 VL - 62 IS - 6 AU - Luis Domínguez Romero AU - José Luís Ayuso Muñoz AU - Amanda P. García Marín Y1 - 2007/11/01 UR - http://www.jswconline.org/content/62/6/390.abstract N2 - One of the models for estimating erosion rates with the greatest acceptance and widest application is the Universal Soil Loss Equation. In this model, the erosive power of the precipitation is considered by an erosivity factor. In this work, an analysis of rainfall erosivity in four locations (Cordoba, Sevilla, Huelva, and Cadiz) of western Andalusia (southern Spain) is shown. The EI30 and EI60 rainfall erosivity indices were obtained by taking 10-minute resolution data series of rainfall and then correlating them. The relation obtained was then applied to longer hourly precipitation data series, in order to calculate and fit the accumulated erosivity curves for different probabilities at each place. The differences that appeared when separating the rainfall events by one or by six continuous dry hours were studied. The erosivity values obtained were approximately 25% to 30% higher when using six hours of separation. A clear difference in the distribution of erosivity throughout the year was detected between the coastal and the inland locations. Also, the relations for calculating rainfall erosivity with daily precipitation were obtained. Finally, the exponential expression of the kinetic energy fitted for the south of Portugal was verified for Huelva, and it was observed that erosivity results exceeded by approximately 16% to 19% those obtained by applying the Universal Soil Loss Equation. However, the global behavior of erosivity was similar, making both methods equally applicable in the study region. ER -