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Rainfall kinetic energy is a widely recognized indicator of a raindrop’s ability to detach soil particles in rainsplash erosion. However, it is challenging to estimate the kinetic energy (KE) of a given rain event, because it involves analysis of the terminal velocity and drop size distribution (DSD) of raindrops. A preferred alternative is to relate KE to rainfall intensity. Therefore we sought to characterize simulated rainfall, establish a relationship between kinetic energy and intensity as a function of both time (KEt, J m(-2) h(-1)) and volume (KEvol, J m(-2) mm(-1)), and examine the erosivity potential of each event. A rainfall simulator and Laser Precipitation Monitor (optical disdrometer) were used to characterize raindrop size, terminal velocity and ME at different rainfall intensities (1.5 to 202 mm h(-1)). Values of KEt ranged from 26.67 to 5955 J m(-2) h(-1) and KEvol ranged from 16.10 to 34.85 J m(-2) mm(-1), which is comparable to values determined from natural rain of similar intensity ranges. A power-law function and a polynomial function between KEt and rainfall intensity had coefficients of determination (R-2) of 0.99 and 0.98 (P < 0.0001), respectively. The best-fitting relationship between KEvol and intensity was a power-law function (R-2 = 0.95; P < 0.001). We found that erosivity had a very strong correlation with rainfall depth (R-2 = 0.99; P < 0.0001) in power-law function. Furthermore, regardless of rainfall intensity, ME is more strongly correlated with raindrop size than volume of raindrop. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.