Vertisols are dark clayey soils that show cracks at least during some part of the year. Normally, Vertisols are found in depressions or plain areas under subhumid or semiarid climate, with a wet and a dry season. Although climax vegetation is savanna, grassland or woodland, Vertisols are very fertile, so that agricultural use is very common. However, the process of swelling/shrinking makes Vertiso ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Wikipedia is evil
Yesterday, I had to write the exam questions for my students of Soil Science in the Faculty of Biology. As there are many more than 300, because of the facilities that my government gives to the fulfilment of the Bologna Process and the European Higher Education Area (ironic mode activated), I usually make multiple choice tests (if you do the same, have a look at this). However, I like to put some ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Monday paper: Modelling soil bulk density at the landscape scale and its contributions to C stock uncertainty
K.P. Taalab, R. Corstanje, R. Creamer, M.J. Whelan. 2013. Modelling soil bulk density at the landscape scale and its contributions to C stock uncertainty, Biogeosciences, 10, 4691-4704, doi:10.5194/bg-10-4691-2013 Abstract Soil bulk density (Db) is a major contributor to uncertainties in landscape-scale carbon and nutrient stock estimation. However, it is time consuming to measure and is, therefor ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Climate change effects on agriculture and land and water resources in Spain
E. Vargas-Amelin (Research Group International Political Economy, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia and Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and P. Pindado (Permanent Representation of Spain at the European Union. Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs) have just published an interesting paper on climate change effects on agriculture and land and water resources in Spain. Accordi ...[Read More]
Seismology
AGU … are your presentations ready?
Many European Earth and space scientists who attend the annual American Geophysical Union Fall meeting are probably glued to their computers right now finishing off their oral or poster presentations. It amazes me how – from personal experience – it is always at the very last week (or day) that some scientific breakthrough is made. But that is just the beginning. For Europeans attendin ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
December 5th is soil day!
In 2002, the IUSS proposed the 5th of December as World Soil Day. With the support of FAO, the 37th FAO Conference requested the UN General Assembly for its final endorsement. Soil day corresponds with the birthday of Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand. This date was proposed by FAO to honour him for his efforts in the promotion of soil science and soil resources conservation and sustainable man ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Soils at Imaggeo: Patterned sand
Alma de Groot, The Netherlands Dunes are wind-generated accumulations of sand particles present in desert or coastal land. Sand dunes have smooth and uniform forms, although geometry may be highly variable. The size of particles of sand dunes is highly concentrated around 0.2 mm in diameter due to wind transportation. The pattern showed in the picture is the result of the formation of aeolian dune ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Monday paper: Hydrological modelling of a slope covered with shallow pyroclastic deposits from field monitoring data
R. Greco, L. Comegna, E. Damiano, A. Guida, L. Olivares and L. Picarelli. Hydrological modelling of a slope covered with shallow pyroclastic deposits from field monitoring data. Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4001-4013, 2013, doi: 10.5194/hess-17-4001-2013 Abstract A one-dimensional hydrological model of a slope covered with pyroclastic materials is proposed. The soil cover is constituted by layers ...[Read More]
Seismology
Movember seismologists
Movember is the new November when men grow and proudly show their defining moustaches. Have you grown your moustache? I have done so for the last month as evident in the introductory vid. Now, that I am close to return to my smooth-shaven chin and upper lips, I was wondering which famous seismologists had nice fluffy moustaches. I headed on to Googling some portraits. Here is what I came across: R ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
2014 EGU-SSS Flyer Contest
EGU2014 is coming and many of you are planning to submit your abstract to SSS sessions (remember the deadlines). However, this is time to announce the 2nd EGU-SSS Flyer Contest: Want to get inspired? Have a look at the winners in 2013: This post was also published simultaneously in G-Soil.