Adding a temporal dimension to the RUSLE model: Application to the Portuguese west coast

Soil erosion by water is one of the main sources of sediment supply to the coastal zone and its quantification is a major issue in coastal management. The intensity of sediment delivery to the coast can be assessed by the RUSLE model, which is able to account the time-variability of the primary variables. This study evaluates the potential changes in soil erosion considering a time window framed from pristine conditions to the end of 21st century. Results show the robustness of this method in ranking the importance of each variable of the erosion system, not only in a predefined time window, but also in comparing changes between instantaneous pictures separated in time.