Rain erosion
Rain erosion describes the destruction and erosion of substances and materials through the impact of raindrops .
features
From the perspective of rain erosion, the cause of certain erosion events is described and initially not their effect. The effect of the rain erosion, for example, in the removal of layers of the earth by a surface flush or at more extreme slopes by soil erosion are, but also in the alluvial deposits of removed soil or sand ( sanding ) elsewhere.
However, rain erosion can also be significant with regard to technical apparatus, for example due to damage to turbine blades of aircraft, to rotor blades of wind turbines or helicopters or to other components of high-speed missiles (canopies, engine inlets, covers of sensors, etc.)
The main influencing factors of rain erosion are the impact speed and the droplet size. The kinetic energy that acts on a surface can be derived from them. Depending on the material, mechanical stresses can occur at relatively low speeds of a few 10 m / s , which are greater than the load capacity of many materials. Various other factors also have an effect, such as the angle of incidence and, last but not least, the amount of rain and the duration of the precipitation event. The geological effects of rain erosion develop not only through the impact of rain, but also through the non-seeping, surface runoff rainwater (so-called runoff ).
Rain erosion is rated as harmful because of the damage that occurs to technical equipment, but also because of its effects on the ecological functions of the landscape , e.g. B. by relocating soil fractions or the leaching of fertilizer salts , pesticides or heavy metals adsorbed in the soil into the water.