Latest Soil physics Stories

Findings could aid in the development of better technologies for hydraulic fracturing and other fluid extraction techniques from the earthWhen geologists survey an area of land for the potential that gas or petroleum deposits could exist there, they must take into account the composition of rocks that lie below the surface. Take, for instance, sandstone"”a sedimentary rock composed mostly of weakly cemented quartz grains. Previous research had suggested that compaction bands"”highly...

Western Europe's exceptionally dry spring is clear to see in maps generated using data from SMOS. While these maps offer an interesting view of the stark difference in soil moisture compared to a year ago, the data are also important for agricultural and hydrological applications. ESA's Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission has been orbiting Earth for 18 months now, making global observations of the moisture held in the top layers of soil and salt in the surface waters of the...

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- High Speed Design Center (HSDC) and PacketMicro announced today that they are offering a family of handheld TDR BladeProbes and an impedance standard substrate to the US market. The high-bandwidth, fixed-pitch probe design enables accurate and repeatable impedance measurements for high-speed PCB development and manufacturing. "The BladeProbe offering provides the best combination of performance, accuracy and price," said Ben Chia, HSDC...

A simple and inexpensive demonstration of soil water retention and field capacityUsing little more than PVC rings, a trashcan, and a scale, students can literally get a feel for soil water retention and field capacity, concepts that are important and useful in fields from farming to engineering.The demonstration, developed by Adam Howard, Drs. Josh Heitman and Dan Bowman of North Carolina State University, was designed to illustrate concepts that can be difficult for students to visualize and...

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are helping U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) experts model the movement of radioactive materials in the soil. Their findings can be used to fine-tune the risk assessment studies that are an essential component in the development of commercial nuclear facilities.Soil scientists Yakov Pachepsky, Timothy Gish and Andrey Guber all work in the ARS Animal and Natural Resources Institute in Beltsville, Md. The team set up their study at the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Honorable Jo-Ellen Darcy was sworn in today as the U.S. Army's 11th Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (ASA(CW)) in a Pentagon ceremony. Secretary of the Army John McHugh conducted the swearing-in ceremony. "I am tremendously honored to have this opportunity to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works," said Darcy. "America is faced with many challenges in how to best conserve, protect, enhance and use its...

Researchers trace a problem with a key climate model to its hyrdrology scheme and find a simpler scheme keeps simulations in line with real-world observationsImagine a climate model as a black box. You put something in, you get something out. But what happens when the output is completely unexpected?"If you don't get the results you expect, that's when you start to ask why," said climate modeler Peter Lawrence from the University of Colorado at Boulder's Cooperative Institute for...

Researchers report in the Soil Science Society of America Journal that 3-D laser scanning can provide a more thorough analysis of a soil's quality, helping to further understand how healthy crops are produced. Soil researchers pay close attention to bulk density, as it is one of the most common soil measurements and it is often used as a measure of soil quality. A soil's bulk density can be indicative of the ease of root penetration, water movement, and soil strength. Measuring this value...

By Keener, H M Wicks, M H; Skora, J A VOLUMETRIC IMPORTANCE Study develops consistent methodology for accurately measuring volumes of unprocessed and processed materials at yard trimmings composting facilities. Part I OHIO has a total of four classes of compost facilities (I-IV) regulated by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA), distinguished by the types of materials received and size of the facility. Class I facilities may receive any solid waste and require a permit prior...

By Munch, E Franco, J; Deville, S; Hunger, P; Saiz, E; Tomsia, A P This work compares Two novel techniques for the fabrication of ceramic scaffolds for bone tissue engineering with complex porosity: robocasting and freeze casting. Both techniques are based on the preparation of concentrated ceramic suspensions with suitable properties for the process, in robocasting, the computer-guided deposition of the suspensions is used to build porous materials with designed three dimensional geometries...