A Method for Measuring Soil Erosion and Deposition with Beta Particle Attenuation

Abstract

A method utilizing beta particle attenuation was developed for measuring soil erosion and deposition in a shortgrass plains ecosystem. This method used a sealed strontium-90 source located below ground level. Soil erosion and deposition was observed by fluctuations in detected count rates using a portable Geiger Mueller counting system. Initial results indicate that quantitative measurement of soil depth fluctuations in amounts considerably less than one millimeter and over a period of a few weeks are possible. Data are presented from application of this method in six soil series under heavy, moderate, and light summer grazing treatments.