Improved Modelling of Soil Loss in El Badalah Basin: Comparing the Performance of the Universal Soil Loss Equation, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation and Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation Models by Using the Magnetic and Gravimetric Prospection Outcomes

Water erosion is a natural fact in the cycle of shaping the earth’s landforms and the most evident form of land degradation on a planetary scale (Roose & De Noni, 2004; Dautrebande & Sohier, 2006; Toumi et al., 2013; Azaiez, 2020a). Its effects have largely affected the rural landscape. Although it is the result of an ancient and primeval climatic and tectonic forcing, man’s footprint in its intensification remains a reality. A real awareness of this problem on the part of scientists is reflected in the many studies on understanding the risks. Experiments have been carried out, equations and models have been developed with the aim of preserving the soil. The watershed of wadi El Badalah, the subject of this study, is not excluded from this risk. The present research is a new comparative contribution to the quantification of soil loss based on four empirical models (Universal Soil Loss Equation USLE, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation RUSLE, Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation MUSLE and the adjusted model). The main objective of this research project is to test several empirical models of quantification of soil loss, extensively tested on a global scale, to discuss the potential of each model in order to choose the most appropriate for the El Badalah basin. The method is based on geotechnical and geophysical investigations. It consists of determining the anomalies of the subsoil based on the difference in density and the resistivity of the heterogeneous constituents of the subsoil. This is in order to look for sectors potentially favorable to infiltration at the expense of runoff.