干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

A short intense rainstorm in the Negev Desert of Israel caused a violent flood in Wadi Zin, which has a 100-year recurrence interval. This flood extensively damaged and partially washed away the vegetation, and caused intensive soil erosion with remarkable effects on the soil characteristics. The depth and textural composition of the soil after the violent flood reflect the intensity of the flood at a known site. The soil disturbance during the violent flood might be described by a two-phase process. Erosion occurred in the high-energy phase, followed by deposition during the low-energy phase, taking place as the flood waned. This process was found to be highly affected by flood intensity: A different type of erosion-deposition process is suggested for each typical region of the wadi.