Which of the following statements regarding the stages and classification of water-induced soil erosion are correct?
Options:
(A) Splash erosion represents the primary initiating detachment mechanism caused by the kinetic impact of falling raindrops
(B) Sheet erosion is the uniform removal of a thin layer of topsoil by shallow overland sheet flow, often insidious and difficult to detect visually
(C) Rill erosion creates small, well-defined micro-channels that can be easily obliterated by normal farm tillage operations
(D) Gully erosion produces deep incised channels with unstable headcuts that cannot be smoothed out by standard agricultural machinery
Answer Key:
A, B, C, D
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
All four statements represent the exact progression of water erosion defined in Schwab and Gurmel Singh:
- A: Detachment by raindrop splash initiates the process.
- B: Shallow sheet wash transports detached fines across smooth inter-rill surfaces.
- C: Micro-flow concentration creates rills, which are temporary and farm-tillage manageable.
- D: Coalescing rills develop into gullies, requiring specialized civil/biological engineering stabilization.