Rill Erosion

Most early research on rills was carried out for agricultural purposes and the most commonly-used definition still emphasizes agricultural applications - "microchannels ... small enough to be removed by normal tillage operations" (FAO 1965). This definition may explain the lack of attention paid to rill processes, for it implies relative insignificance in agriculture, but at the same time diverts attention from rill devlopment in areas which are not repeatedly disturbed by tillage, where more permanent rills can develop which may be of greater geomorphic importance.