Evaluation of Different Procedures to Estimate the RUSLE EI30 Index Based on High Temporal Resolution Rainfall Dataset.

When estimating the maximum potential average annual soil loss due to sheet and rill erosion, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is usually selected because it is a simple model to operate if the various parameters are known. The rainfall erosivity factor R is traditionally determined by calculating the erosion index (EI30). Unfortunately, in most areas of the world the EI30 is not available, and it remains necessary to process an enormous amount of data to establish the value of the average rainfall factor. Therefore, this paper evaluates different procedures for estimating the EI30 from readily available data in the South-Central region of Chile. The results demonstrate that the empirical procedures give results which compare satisfactorily with the high temporal resolution rainfall data from several raingauge stations used in this study