A cellular automats model for soil erosion by water

A Cellular Automata model for soil erosion by water, SCAVATU, was developed. It involves a larger number of states in comparison to the previous models, including altitude, water depth, total head, vegetation density, infiltration, erosion, sediment transport and deposition. The model was applied to the small catchment of the Fiumara Armaconi, Calabria, Southern Italy. First simulations gave encouraging results, even if field erosion data is needed for validation and future calibration and setting of the CA parameters The model is susceptible to improvement and could represent a valid alternative to classic physically based methods, for the description of complexity through simple local rules. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.