Reexamination of the Xie model and spatiotemporal variability in rainfall erosivity in mainland China from 1960 to 2018

Abstract Soil erosion has become one of the most serious global environmental and ecological crises. Rainfall erosivity measures the potential ability of precipitation to trigger soil erosion. This study estimated the degree of rainfall erosivity in mainland China from 1960 to 2018 using the Xie model and analyzed its spatiotemporal variability. The accuracy of the Xie model was reexamined and further verified with the use of data from densely distributed stations by comparing it with two typical daily models and an hourly model. The relationships between changes in rainfall erosivity and soil erosion were also discussed. Results showed that annual rainfall erosivity in mainland China ranged from 2 to 23,129 MJ⋅mm/(hm2⋅h⋅a) and decreased gradually from southeast to northwest. Annual rainfall erosivity also showed a significant increasing trend (P