Seize the Memory of Soil
a Citizen Science project on mapping soil moisture memory
Soil Moisture and Water Cycle
Soil Moisture and Water Cycle
Of all the pools that store water, the ocean stores 96% of all water on our planet (as salty water), and only less than 4% is freshwater. Freshwater can be found in 1) liquid form on the earth's surface such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, and artificial reservoirs, and deep in the ground as groundwater, 2) solid form in ice sheets, glaciers, and snowpack, and 3) gas form as water vapor.
Of all the pools that store water, the ocean stores 96% of all water on our planet (as salty water), and only less than 4% is freshwater. Freshwater can be found in 1) liquid form on the earth's surface such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, and artificial reservoirs, and deep in the ground as groundwater, 2) solid form in ice sheets, glaciers, and snowpack, and 3) gas form as water vapor.
Only a small fraction of water stays in the soil, representing 0.05% of the total water on Earth. The total amount of water in the soil is called soil moisture. The figure below created by the US Geological Survey illustrates the pools of water on Earth and the flows between them (known as the Water Cycle). Can you recognize all the pools of water? Click on the figure to open an interactive diagram and learn more information about the water cycle.
Only a small fraction of water stays in the soil, representing 0.05% of the total water on Earth. The total amount of water in the soil is called soil moisture. The figure below created by the US Geological Survey illustrates the pools of water on Earth and the flows between them (known as the Water Cycle). Can you recognize all the pools of water? Click on the figure to open an interactive diagram and learn more information about the water cycle.
Soil consists of three components: 1) Solids made of minerals (components of the rocks) and organic materials (plant, animal, and microbial tissues), 2) Liquid (water), and 3) Air (such as oxygen - O2 and carbon dioxide - CO2).
Soil consists of three components: 1) Solids made of minerals (components of the rocks) and organic materials (plant, animal, and microbial tissues), 2) Liquid (water), and 3) Air (such as oxygen - O2 and carbon dioxide - CO2).
When we describe soil moisture, we often use the fraction of the water in the soil. The figure on the right shows that soil moisture is between 20-30% (0.2-0.3), meaning that 20-30% of the total volume of this soil is water.
When we describe soil moisture, we often use the fraction of the water in the soil. The figure on the right shows that soil moisture is between 20-30% (0.2-0.3), meaning that 20-30% of the total volume of this soil is water.
Soil moisture changes greatly in space and time. The figure below was generated from a satellite image by NASA. It maps the changing soil moisture across the world at different times of the year.
Soil moisture changes greatly in space and time. The figure below was generated from a satellite image by NASA. It maps the changing soil moisture across the world at different times of the year.
As you can see at most times of the year, the western US is highlighted in yellow but the eastern US is in blue. This is because there is much less soil moisture on average in the western part of the country (known as arid/semi-arid regions) compared to the eastern part (humid regions).
As you can see at most times of the year, the western US is highlighted in yellow but the eastern US is in blue. This is because there is much less soil moisture on average in the western part of the country (known as arid/semi-arid regions) compared to the eastern part (humid regions).
In this project, you will learn how to use a low-cost device (soil moisture meter) to directly measure soil moisture from the ground and monitor the changing soil moisture over time.
In this project, you will learn how to use a low-cost device (soil moisture meter) to directly measure soil moisture from the ground and monitor the changing soil moisture over time.
