GeoLog

Soil Sciences

Can we mend our Earth, one gully at a time? New research reveals that the answer is YES!

December 5, 2024
Can we mend our Earth, one gully at a time? New research reveals that the answer is YES!
Picture taken by Elise Monsieurs in Kizin, Wanzaye, Ethiopia.

Imagine losing your land – little by little – to deep, destructive trenches carved by rain and flowing water. This is what gully erosion does, a problem that has been devastating several communities worldwide. Ethiopia’s Aba Bora Watershed, the subject area of a recent study published in the EGU open access journal, SOIL, is located in the Oromia region and is a part of the larger Baro ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: Adriano Sofo, soil chemist and microbiologist, National Geographic Explorer, and EGU Biodiversity Task Force member

October 4, 2024
GeoTalk: Adriano Sofo, soil chemist and microbiologist, National Geographic Explorer, and EGU Biodiversity Task Force member

Adriano, welcome to GeoTalk! As an Associate Professor of Agricultural Chemistry and Plant Biology, you work a lot on microbiology and chemistry related to soil management. Can you tell us a bit about how your work is relevant for society? Thank you, Chloe! It is a pleasure. My research in soil chemistry and microbiology directly contributes to understanding factors influencing crop yield and qual ...[Read More]

Can our oases outlast the dry spell of desertification?

June 28, 2024
Can our oases outlast the dry spell of desertification?
Turpan Oasis in China. Credit: Fang Dong (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

Ever wondered how fast our planet is losing its footing? Imagine this: every time you blink, four football fields’ worth of fertile soil vanish into thin air. According to the UN, that’s a mind-boggling 100 million hectares gobbled up by land degradation each year! But when this happens in dry regions, it morphs into something even more sinister: desertification. Karina Lima, a climate ...[Read More]