topic Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re in Geoprocessing Questions

Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange result

JuliaHauczinger — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 16:44:34 GMT

I wanted to calculate the LS Factor of the USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) with the tool Raster Calculator in ArcGis 10.
First, I filled my DEM with the tool Fill. (DEM was calculated in UTM)
Second, I calculated the Flow Direction with the Tool Flow Direction.
Third, I calculated the Flow Accumulation with my Flow Direction as Inputfile. [ATTACH=CONFIG]16862[/ATTACH]
Fourth, I calculated the Slope in Degrees by the Spatial Analyst tool Surface and Slope. [ATTACH=CONFIG]16863[/ATTACH]
Fifthly, I used the Equation by Moore and Burch 1986: LS = (Flow Accumulation * Cell Size/22.13)^0.4 * (sin (slope/0.0896))^1.3
Sixthly: I typed in the raster calculator the equation:

(Power((("FlowAcc" * 92.46745509) / 22.13),0.4)) * (Power((Sin("Slope_Degree" / 0.0896)),1.3))

But my result look very very strange! There a lot of white areas! The Raster is not like cover areas.... It looks like that every calculated value is seperated... It looks like a dotted map....What did I wrong?? Did I forget something?? I can`t believe that this is right??!! [ATTACH=CONFIG]16864[/ATTACH]

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

AnneKull1 — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 07:16:50 GMT

Hello!

At first you have to investigate your map. Are these white areas NoData? Which values are in other layers where NoData values appear in LS layer. It seems that there is a problem with FlowAccumulation layer - there also seem to have NoData values.

I have used Wischmeier and Smith's LS factor formula and it works:

Pow(([FlowLength]/22.13), [m_factor] / 10)*(((Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg)*Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg))*65.41)+(Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg)*4.56)+0.065)

FlowLength substitues slope length, like FlowAccumulation
m factor is 0,2 for slopes less than 0.01% (slope_percent), 0,3 for slopes 0,01-0,035, 0,4 for slopes 0,035-0,05 and 0,5 for slopes over 0,05%. As the reclassify tool does not enable to give new values like 0,2 then just integer values (like 2) have to assigned and these vales are divided by 10 in formula (m_factor / 10)
deg - constant, 57,296

I hope this helped,
Anne

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

Anonymous User — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 04:00:44 GMT

Original User: Julia.Hauczinger

Thank you Anne Kull!

Yes I investigeted my DEM, Fill, Flowdir and Accumulation... there are no missing data, where the missing data in my LS Layer are...

I would like to try this equation, but I have there a question:
"FlowLength substitues slope length, like FlowAccumulation
m factor is 0,2 for slopes less than 0.01% (slope_percent), 0,3 for slopes 0,01-0,035, 0,4 for slopes 0,035-0,05 and 0,5 for slopes over 0,05%. As the reclassify tool does not enable to give new values like 0,2 then just integer values (like 2) have to assigned and these vales are divided by 10 in formula (m_factor / 10)
deg - constant, 57,296"

Did you calculate this in Raster Calculator? I have absolutly no idea how do this part with the different values for m dependening on the different slope! How can I say, that it has to take for m the value 0,2 for the slope 0,01%, and take the value 0,3 for 0,01 to 0,035,... ???? (Sorry I am just a beginner in GIS and I try to learn 🙂 )

Or have I to calculate it somehow else?

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

AnneKull1 — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:55:04 GMT

At first I prepared the m factor layer. To do this I calculated the slope in percent and then classified (Reclassify tool) the slope_percent layer to have m factor classes:
0-0,01% = 2
0,01-0,035% = 3
0,035-0,05% = 4
above 0,05% = 5

And then I calculated with Raster Calculator the LS factor using formula I wrote. This formula is written by ArcGIS 9.3. In ArcGIS 9.3 the syntax looks like little bit different - there are quatation marks "" around layer names instead of square brackes [].

Anne

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

Anonymous User — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:25:26 GMT

Original User: Julia.Hauczinger

Thank you very very much for your help and your good explanation!!!! 🙂

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

Anonymous User — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 06:32:51 GMT

Original User: amar.gautam

hi Julia Hauczinger,
   i am also working on USLE equation. I follow the same steps as given in this post but didn't get the right solution.
   If you get another solution please tell me.
   Thanks in advance....

with regard
AmaR

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

JosephLafontaine — Wed, 29 Jan 2014 18:18:41 GMT

why do we need to divide by the deg - which is the constant of 57,296, This is the part I am lost at.

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange result

MarcelaDuhne — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 23:38:33 GMT

In the Raster Calculator: sin(angle)

The "angle" must be in radians; therefore, the correction to your formula would be:

(Power((("FlowAcc" * 92.46745509) / 22.13),0.4)) * (Power((Sin("Slope_Degree" * 0.01745 / 0.0896)),1.3))

Please let me know if it works.

Regards.

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange result

JoanitoOliveira — Sun, 06 Mar 2016 23:50:14 GMT

Hi Julia,

please look the Gisus-M. You ca see it HERE.

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange result

SushreeSangitaDash — Thu, 04 Feb 2021 07:25:33 GMT

Hey @JuliaHauczinger ,

Your formula is correct. Just use the slope in radians (i.e., multiply the slope(in degrees) with 3.14/180 ).

Then you will be getting the correct result.

Thank You

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange result

Veeraageo — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 12:05:00 GMT

Hi JoanitoOliveira,

I tried and installed the GISus_M esri add-in in Arcgis 10.2, however, it's not functional. Just it's only installed and also showing in Arc tool list, but not highlighting any the options in the model. Kindly suggest me right procedure for installation in order to work on the model.

Thanks

Re: Need very urgent help with LS Factor(USLE)Calculation in ArcGis10 (get strange re

KhairiMI — Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:00:29 GMT

Hi, I know it has been very long but I'm very interested in running the LS equation using Weischmeir and Smith Formula. I can understand on the L formula part, but I have questions regarding the S calculation part if you can clarify:

Supposedly the formula is 0.065 +0.046s + 0.0065s². May I know how does this formula derived: (((Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg)*Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg))*65.41)+(Sin([Slope_degrees] / deg)*4.56)+0.065)?
Would the result came out the same if I'm using 0.065 +0.046s + 0.0065s², which in this case the 's' is supposed to be in % since we can calculate slope percentage?
What is the purpose of the slope degree divide by deg-constant?

Appreciate your assistance to clarify this.

Thank you.