Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Raindrops Go Ballistic In Research On Soil Erosion. Important process that shapes the landscape in arid regions

ScienceDaily (January 18, 2007)

Raindrops can wreak havoc on Earth. They just do it on a microscopic scale. At that scale, raindrops hitting bare ground have nearly the force of a hammer hitting a mound of dirt. What happens when the water hits the soil is the micro-ballistic effect of displaced soil splattering around in all directions. In arid regions, such as central Arizona, this is an important process that shapes the landscape.

High speed images show stop action of a raindrop hitting a sand target in experiments conducted by a team of researchers led by Arizona State University’s Mark Schmeeckle. Credit : Mark Scmeeckle, Arizona State University

Story Source

The above story is based on materials provided by Arizona State University.

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