Artemi Cerdà University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain Antonio Jordán University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain In the Mediterranean, soil erosion causes rock fragments to surface easily, so that stony soils are very common. The stones on the ground are collected and used for the construction fences (dry stone walls) and separating properties by farmers. In most cases, fences are built without any morta ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Forest residue mulching reduces post-fire soil erosion
Sergio A. Prats University of Aveiro, Portugal Still under the effect of the last wave of wildfires of summer 2013, Porto Canal interviewed the last Ph.D. student of the CESAM Research Centre at the University of Aveiro, who deals with soil erosion mitigation after wildfires. Porto Canal wanted to disseminate the last advances in recognizing the main effects of wildfires, the selection of soil ero ...[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Working for the recovery of burned soils
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]