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The Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) and the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) share a common modeling philosophy, that of moving away from primarily empirically based models based on indices or "average conditions", and toward a more process based approach which can be evaluated using actual site conditions or simulations. Initial development of both models began with some auxiliary sub-models based upon similar code and concepts, e.g. crop growth (EPIC-based) and residue decomposition for example. However, separate development teams and the unique requirements of modeling wind erosion versus water erosion have resulted in additional divergence of the two models at the process level. In an effort to unite the two models so that both wind and water erosion can be estimated with a single simulation, the differences at the process level are clearly exposed.