How to use the soil erosion calculator
Estimate the average annual soil loss from a field using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Enter rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility factor, slope length and steepness factor, cover management factor, support practice factor in the fields above; the annual soil loss is computed instantly and plotted on the chart so you can see how the answer changes.
Common searches this calculator answers include “USLE soil erosion”, “soil loss per hectare”, “universal soil loss equation”, “calculate soil erosion”, “find annual soil loss”.
Formula
Variables
- R — Rainfall erosivity (MJ·mm/(ha·h·yr))
- K — Soil erodibility factor
- LS — Slope length and steepness factor
- C — Cover management factor
- P — Support practice factor
Worked example
With rainfall erosivity = 500 MJ·mm/(ha·h·yr), soil erodibility factor = 0.3, slope length and steepness factor = 1.2, cover management factor = 0.1, support practice factor = 1, the calculator gives annual soil loss ≈ 18 t/ha/yr.
Frequently asked questions
What is the soil erosion calculator used for?
Estimate the average annual soil loss from a field using the Universal Soil Loss Equation. It helps with questions such as “USLE soil erosion”, “soil loss per hectare”, “universal soil loss equation”.
What is the formula for the soil erosion calculation?
Annual soil loss (t/ha/yr) = R × K × LS × C × P. Here R is rainfall erosivity (MJ·mm/(ha·h·yr)), K is soil erodibility factor, LS is slope length and steepness factor, C is cover management factor, P is support practice factor.
What inputs do I need for the soil erosion (usle) calculator?
You need rainfall erosivity in MJ·mm/(ha·h·yr), soil erodibility factor, slope length and steepness factor, cover management factor, support practice factor. Each field is pre-filled with a typical example so you can see how the result responds as you edit the numbers.
How do I use the soil erosion calculator?
Type values into the input fields. Results and the chart update instantly. Use Reset to restore the example values, Copy results to paste them elsewhere, or Share to copy a link that preserves your inputs.
Is the soil erosion result exact?
Calculations use standard formulas and double-precision arithmetic, then display about seven significant figures. Real-world measurements carry uncertainty, so treat results as estimates unless your inputs are exact.