EMPIRICAL MODELS FOR ASSESSING SHEET SOIL EROSION BASED ON GEOINFORMATION ANALYSIS OF REMOTE SENSING DATA (A CASE STUDY OF THE ZHAMBYL REGION)

The article considers the assessment of planar soil erosion in the Zhambyl region using the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) model in a geoinformation environment. Remote sensing data analysis methods, digital terrain models (SRTM), and land use data (Land Cover 2024, Living Atlas) were used to model factors R (rain erosion aggression), K (soil resistance), LS (slope length and steepness), C (cover and land use), and P (erosion control measures).) and climate information (WorldClim v2.1). The final factor A, reflecting the average annual potential soil loss, was obtained in ArcGIS using the Raster Calculator tool by multiplying all input layers. A values range from 0 to 22.4 t/ha per year. The main part of the territory (98.4%) is characterized by mild erosion (less than 0.3 t/ha/year). Moderately and severely eroded areas (A values above 2 t/ha/year) account for about 0.2% of the area and are concentrated mainly on the slopes of mountains, ridges, riverbeds and ravines. It has been established that the relief (LS-factor) and the structure of land use (C-factor) have the greatest influence on erosion processes, especially in agricultural landscapes with high anthropogenic load. The results obtained are an important basis for planning soil protection measures and sustainable environmental management in the region.