GIS-based Soil Erosion Assessment Using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in Aizawl District, Mizoram, India 

GIS-based Soil Erosion Assessment Using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in Aizawl District, Mizoram, India | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article GIS-based Soil Erosion Assessment Using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in Aizawl District, Mizoram, India Ahmed Abdallah Adam Mohamed, Lalruatkimi Chhakchhuak, Babina Devi Khumanthem, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7962657/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 16 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Soil erosion poses a significant global environmental challenge, particularly in developing countries. However, Aizawl district, Mizoram, a region characterized by undulating topography, high mean annual precipitation, and anthropogenic pressures like rapid urbanization and shifting cultivation (Jhum). This study utilized the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) implemented within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, to assess water-induced soil loss factors and identify critical erosion hotspots. The results revealed that high soil loss is a consequence of synergistic interactions between physical and management factors. The Rainfall Erosivity (R factor), peaks to 1108.85 MJ mm ha⁻¹ h⁻¹ yr⁻¹, providing maximum detachment energy, which was exponentially amplified by the Topographic (LS factor) in steep slope corridors. The high erosion rates (72,800 ha (34%) were ultimately driven by the cover Management (C factor), which recorded up to 1 in localized Jhum, build-up, and barren land patches. The findings confirm that steep terrain, heavy precipitation, and unsustainable agricultural practices are the most important contributors to soil erosion, requiring prompt and well-coordinated erosion control measures like agroforestry systems. Remote Sensing and GIS RUSLE Model Soil Erosion Risk Aizawl Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 25 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 05 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 05 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 04 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Nov, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 Nov, 2025 Editor invited by journal 09 Nov, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 01 Nov, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 31 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 31 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7962657","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":550090333,"identity":"4f30c3b5-b2fc-4d8e-8366-7b3750441d96","order_by":0,"name":"Ahmed Abdallah Adam 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