A review of surface erosion and sediment delivery models for unsealed roads

Baihua Fu, Lachlan T.H. Newham*, C. E. Ramos-Scharrón

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

    135 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper reviews available models for estimating surface erosion and sediment delivery to streams from unsealed roads. It summarises current progress and identifies directions for ongoing research and model development. The paper provides a framework for assessing road erosion and sediment delivery models and it includes an overview of road erosion and sediment delivery processes and how they are commonly represented in models. Seven road models are reviewed in terms of their representations of erosion and sediment delivery processes, assumptions, application and limitations. While simple models are thought to be more useful and easily applied for land management purposes, more complex models provide a basis for building and consolidating scientific knowledge. This article reveals some of the limitations and needs of existing road erosion models. These include limitations of their ancestor hillslope erosion models, the imbalance between representation of erosion processes versus sediment delivery, a lack of representation of subsurface flow interception and the lack of model testing and uncertainty analysis. One of the most fundamental limitations to developing improved models of road erosion and delivery is access to data of an appropriate standard.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1-14
    Number of pages14
    JournalEnvironmental Modelling and Software
    Volume25
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2010

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