Approximation of Rainfall Erosivity Factors in North Jordan

Despite being in arid and semi-arid areas, erosion is largely a result of infrequent but heavy rainfall events; therefore, rainfall erosivity data can be used as an indicator of potential erosion risks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of annual rainfall erosivity in North Jordan. A simplified procedure was used to correlate erosivity factor R values in both the universal soil loss equation (USLE) and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) with annual rainfall amount or modified Fournier index (Fmod). Pluviometric data recorded at 18 weather stations covering North Jordan were used to predict R values. The annual values of erosivity ranged between 86–779 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 year−1. The northwest regions of Jordan showed the highest annual erosivity values, while the northeastern regions showed the lowest annual erosivity values.