Abstract
This paper presents a classification of the potential for soil erosion and mass movement on a global scale free from social factors. We used global data sets open to the public via the Internet to classify soil erosion and mass movement. The Earth's landmass was divided into three types of erosion: ice, wind, and water erosion. Using the global distribution of a warmth index calculated from the mean monthly temperature, areas with a warmth index less than 15 were defined as having a high potential for ice erosion. Calculating a radiative dryness index from monthly precipitation and net radiation data, areas with a radiative dryness index greater than 3.5 were classified as regions with a high potential for wind erosion. The remaining area was defined as the region with a high potential for sediment discharge by water; this area was also defined using a relief index calculated from digital elevation and maximum monthly precipitation data. Using this classification, this paper shows the distribution of the potential for soil erosion and mass movement on a global scale.
