Fire is a natural agent that occurs in most terrestrial ecosystems. In Mediterranean areas, for example, fire is a natural agent that has contributed to shape the history of vegetation, soils, and ultimately, the landscape we know today. Also, since ancient times, men have also used fire as a tool for the management of ecosystems. As a result, the Mediterranean vegetation has developed mechanisms ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Soils at Imaggeo: when a soil is born
Artemi Cerdà, University of Valencia, Valencia – Spain Soil development is based on the weathering of rocks and the deposition and decomposition of litter and roots, which are the main source or soil organic matter. Mosses are one of the key actors on those processes, as they are present at the initial stages of pedogenesis. This post was also published simultaneously in G-Soil.
Soil System Sciences
Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones
Racetrack Playa is a plain without vegetation of a dry located above the northwestern side of Death Valley, in Death Valley National Park, Inyo County, CA, USA (click here to see in Google Maps). Although “playa” is the Spanish word for beach, it is also used in English to refer to a dry lake. Racetrack Playa occupies an area of 4.5 km (north-south) by 2 km (east-west) which is 1,130 m ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
What is soil structure?
Soil structure is the result of the spatial arrangement of the solid soil particles and their associated pore space. Aggregation mainly depends on the soil composition and texture, but is also strongly influenced by other factors such as biological activity, climate, geomorphic processes or the action of fire. Structure is a typical morphological soil property, which allows differentiating soil of ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Open call for scientific sessions (EGU 2014) and more from the Soil System Sciences Division
From April 27th to May 2nd 2014 the EGU 2014 will be held in Vienna. See here more information http://www.egu2014.eu The Scientific sessions that will be held in Vienna are being uploaded now, and they will be reviewed and approved in the next council meeting of the EGU (Munich, October 10-12th 2013). The Soil System Sciences Division wish to organize a program that will be diverse, scientifically ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Soils at Imaggeo: Sand dunes at the east shore of Lake Michigan, USA
Simon Schneider, R&D Programme GEOTECHNOLOGIEN , Potsdam – Germany The coastal sand dunes along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan make up the largest collection of freshwater coastal dunes in the world. They provide valuable information that will help to manage and protect them and yields important insights into both the development of coastal dunes in general and climate change in Mich ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Upcoming EGU elections
The EGU Election Autumn 2013 for the next EGU President/Vice-President and General Secretary will take place between 01 November – 01 December 2013. You are kindly asked to propose a candidate to any vacancy by 30 September 2013. You are welcome and encouraged to nominate yourself. If you are nominating someone else, please get the candidate’s consent. Please have the information liste ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Soils at Imaggeo: Pores in ‘heart-shaped’ pyrite aggregate in clay
Susanne Hemes (RWTH Aachen University, Germany) The image was taken using a ‘Zeiss – Supra55’ Scanning Electron Microscope at 15,000x magnification and 10kV electron acceleration voltage, as part of my PhD work on the porosity in fine- and coarse-grained Boom Clay samples. The picture shows pores in framboidal pyrite aggregates, embedded in a fine-grained clay matrix. Boom Clay i ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
A view on peatlands
During the last FESP4 (4th Int Meeting on Fire Effects on Soil Properties, Vilnius, Lithuania), participants in the meeting visited the Dzūkija National Park. This park was established in 1991 in the region of Varena (southern Lithuania). The park extends over approximately 550 km2 along the Nemunas River, near the border between Lithuania and Belarus. The purpose for which it was founded was to p ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Welcome to G-Soil!
The G-Soil team would like to begin by welcoming you to G-Soil. G-Soil is the official blog of the Soil System Sciences Division of the EGU and is a means of communication for all those interested in soil science and related areas. We hope you enjoy the blog as much as we enjoy the soil under our feet. Soil is the interface between the crust and atmosphere, and is the basis of life on Earth. The ...[Read More]