Digging Deeper into Soil Erosion: Erosion Models

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Water erosion

• AGNPS (Agricultural Non-Point Source pollution model)
• AGNPS-UM (Agricultural Non-Point Source pollution model, modified)
• ANSWERS (Areal Nonpoint Source Watershed Environment Response Simulation)
• CREAMS (Chemicals, Runoff and Erosion from Agricultural Management Systems)
• EGEM (Ephemeral Gully Erosion Model)
• EPIC (Erosion-Productivity Impact Calculator)
• EROSION-3D
• EUROSEM (European Soil Erosion Model)
• GLEAMS (Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems)
• KINEROS2
• LISEM (Limburg Soil Erosion Model)
• MEDRUSH
• MOSES (Modular Soil Erosion System) project
• MWISED (Modelling Within-Storm Sediment Dynamics) project
• PESERA (Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment) model
• RillGrow 1 and 2
• RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) 1 and 2, USDA-ARS site
• RUSLE 2, NRCS site
• RUSLE on-line
• RUSLE for mined lands
• RUSLE 2
• SERAE (Soil Erosion Risk Assessment in Europe) model
• STREAM (Sealing, Transfer,Runoff, Erosion, Agricultural Modification) model
• SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool)
• USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation)
• APSIM (Agricultural Production Simulator): uses modified MUSLE
• TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) USLE
• USLE-2D (Universal Soil Loss Equation 2D)
• USLE (MS Excel™ version)
• USLE-M (Universal Soil Loss Equation Modification)
• USPED (Unit Stream Power-based Erosion Deposition)
• WATEM (Water and Tillage Erosion Model)
• WEPP (Water Erosion Prediction Project)
• GeoWEPP (Geo-spatial interface for WEPP)
• WEPP interfaces (US Forest Service)

Water erosion (runoff only)

Also known as 'hillslope hydrology' models. Only a selection is given here.

• TCRP (Tillage-Controlled Runoff Pattern model)
• TOPMODEL

Water erosion (long term)

This class of models is also known as 'landscape evolution models' (among other names). Such models often consider other landscape-forming processes in addition to erosion, such as mass movements and fluvial (river) erosion. However, their hillslope erosion component usually considers only soil erosion by water. Here is a selection.

• CAESAR (Cellular Automaton Evolutionary Slope and River model)
• WILSIM (Web-based Interactive Landform Simulation Model)

Wind erosion

• WERU wind erosion simulation models

Tillage erosion

• WATEM (Water and Tillage Erosion Model)

General

• NRCS (USDA National Resources Conservation Service) Technical Resources

Dr David Favis-Mortlock, April 2025