Saskia Keesstra, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands Description This composite shows a constellation of combined visual and infrared imaging of a smouldering combustion front spreading radially over a thin sample of dry peat. The central watch is created by a series of twelve wedges. Each wedge is extracted from a photo taken every 5 min …[Read More]
Soil System Sciences
Wildfires and soil: Where are we now?
Lorena M. Zavala. University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain Antonio Jordán. University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain Jorge Mataix-Solera. University Miguel Hernández, Elche, Spain Artemi Cerdà. University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain Are wildfires a natural ecological factor or an environmental problem? According to official statistics, during the 1990’s, about 1.5 millions ha were burned in Spain. In …[Read More]
Monday paper: Simulating microbial degradation of organic matter in a simple porous system using the 3-D diffusion-based model MOSAIC
Monga, O., Garnier, P., Pot, V., Coucheney, E., Nunan, N., Otten, W., and Chenu, C.: Simulating microbial degradation of organic matter in a simple porous system using the 3-D diffusion-based model MOSAIC, Biogeosciences, 11, 2201-2209, doi:10.5194/bg-11-2201-2014, 2014. Abstract This paper deals with the simulation of microbial degradation of organic matter in soil within the pore space at a microscopic scale. Pore space …[Read More]
Soils at Imaggeo: Fly ash dyke or landfill or pond
Kripal Singh, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India Description Fly ash, generated during coal combustion for thermal power generation, is dumped in man made ponds is a big problem to manage in several countries. In this picture, natural grasses are growing on a fly ash pond on National Thermal Power Plant, Unchahar, Uttar …[Read More]
Sure can smell the rain
Fly, thought, on golden wings, go alight on the cliffs, on the hills, where the sweet airs of our native soil smell soft and mild! Chorus of the Hebrew slaves, Nabucco Giuseppe Verdi Have you ever noticed the smell of rain? Why does wet soil smell so good? The smell of wet soil plants oils …[Read More]
Monday paper: Bayesian calibration of a soil organic carbon model using Δ14C measurements of soil organic carbon and heterotrophic respiration as joint constraints
Ahrens, B., Reichstein, M., Borken, W., Muhr, J., Trumbore, S. E., and Wutzler, T.: Bayesian calibration of a soil organic carbon model using Δ14C measurements of soil organic carbon and heterotrophic respiration as joint constraints, Biogeosciences, 11, 2147-2168, doi:10.5194/bg-11-2147-2014, 2014. Abstract Soils of temperate forests store significant amounts of organic matter and are considered to be net sinks of atmospheric CO2. …[Read More]
Monday paper: Impacts of climate variability on wetland salinization in the North American prairies
Nachshon U, Ireson A, van der Kamp G, Davies SR, Wheater HS. 2014. Impacts of climate variability on wetland salinization in the North American prairies. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 18, 1251-1263. DOI: 10.5194/hess-18-1251-2014. Abstract The glaciated plains of the North American continent, also known as the “prairies”, are a complex hydrological system characterized by hummocky …[Read More]
Soils at Imaggeo: Gypsum concretions in a soil horizon
Antonio Jordán, University of Seville, Sevilla, Spain Most Gypsisols are formed when gypsum (calcium sulfate) from gypsiferous parent materials is dissolved and moves through soil water, precipitating in an accumulation soil horizons. Triassic rock outcrops in almost all Andalusia consist mainly of red and variegated clays and in some cases by clays of different colors …[Read More]
Monday paper: Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania
Pereira P, Úbeda X, Mataix-Solera J, Oliva M, Novara A: Short-term changes in soil Munsell colour value, organic matter content and soil water repellency after a spring grassland fire in Lithuania. Solid Earth, 5, 209-225. DOI: 10.5194/se-5-209-2014. Abstract Fire is a natural phenomenon with important implications on soil properties. The degree of this impact depends upon …[Read More]
Monday paper: Thermal shock and splash effects on burned gypseous soils from the Ebro Basin (NE Spain)
León J, Seeger M, Badía D, Peters P, Echevarría T: Thermal shock and splash effects on burned gypseous soils from the Ebro Basin (NE Spain). Solid Earth, 5, 131-140. DOI: 10.5194/se-5-131-2014. Abstract Fire is a natural factor of landscape evolution in Mediterranean ecosystems. The middle Ebro Valley has extreme aridity, which results in a low plant …[Read More]