The De Ploey erosional susceptibility model for catchments, ES

This article is based on an unpublished manuscript by the late Prof. Dr. Jan De Ploey. It focusses on the erosional susceptibility of catchments in terms of total energy input by the meteorological factors water and wind (ES-model). rm and the universal character of the basic expression of the erosional susceptibility are explained. Applications of the model are illustrated for different processes such as landsliding and debris flows, gullying, creep, and rill-interrill combinations. Characteristic ES-values exist for these processes. Also, ES-values vary in regions with differing pedo-botanical characteristics and land-use. The difference between ES-values for single storm events and longer periods are related to the magnitude-frequency distribution of erosive activities and allow in many cases an assessment of the age of erosion phenomena and an estimation of the recurrence period of extreme single events.