Soil Science

Scotland (UK): Soil Judging Contest. 22nd World Congress of Soil Science

Haplorthod (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

United Kingdom

Lithic Humudept (Soil Taxonomy 2014)

Sierra de la Grana. Teix. Alicante

Pachic Calcixeroll (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Benitatxell. Alicante 2010

Lithic Rhodoxeralf (Soil Taxonomy 2014); Chromic Luvisol (WRB, 2015)

Photo used for an issue cover of the Spanish Journal of Soil Science (https://sjss.universia.net/issue/view/17)

Sierra de Albarracín, Teruel, Spain

Typic Xerorthent (Soil Taxonomy 2014). In the picture Jorge Mataix-Solera. Photo by Francis Moreno Young

Sierra de Mariola, Alicante, Spain

Lithic Haploxeroll (Soil Taxonomy 2014); Akroskeletic Leptic Chernic Rendzic Phaeozem (Endoraptic) (WRB, 2015)

In the picture Minerva García-Carmona, María Sánchez & Manón Navarro

Ordesa National Park, Huesca, Spain, 2009

Udic Haploboroll (Soil Taxonomy, 1996; 7th Edition)

Sierra del Maigmó, Alicante, Spain

Colluvial soil profile where can be observed an old buried A horizon (Ab)

Onil, Alicante, Spain

Calcixerept (Soil Taxonomy, 2014); Calcisol (WRB, 2015)

Sierra del Maigmó, Alicante, Spain

Typic Calcixeroll (Soil Taxonomy, 2014); Calcic Kastanozem (WRB, 2015)

Torres del Paine National Park, Patagonia, Chile 2019

Soil sampling in Patagonia

Sierra de Mariola, Alicante, Spain

Typic Xerorthent (Soil taxonomy, 2014); Hypereutric Calcaric Regosol (Siltic, Escalic, Humic) (WRB, 2015)

Puyehue National Park. Chile

Andisol (Soil taxonomy, 2014)

In the picture, Jorge Mataix-Solera. Photo by Francis Moreno Young

Cluj-Napoca, Transilvania, Romania

Haplic Chernozem (WRB, 2015)

Picture used for the cover of an Issue of the NEWS-SECS (https://www.secs.com.es/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/news-secs-13.pdf)

Orba, Valencia, Spain

Calcic Rhodoxeralf (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Picture used for the cover of the scientific journal SOIL (https://www.soil-journal.net/)

Tremp, Lleida, Spain 2019

Petrocalcic Calcixerept (Soil Taxonomy, 2014); Haplic Calcisol (WRB, 2015)

Soil Judging Contest. Tremp 2019

Tremp, Lleida, Spain 2019

Lithic Rhodustalf (Soil Taxonomy, 2014); Chromic Luvisol (WRB, 2015)

Soil Judging Contest. Tremp 2019

Soil color

The soil color can inform about mineral composition, soil genesis processes, organic matter content,… Soil color is a key parameter in soil classification systems

Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 2018

Soil Judging Contest in the framework of the 21 World Congress of Soil Science

Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 2018

Soil Judging Contest in the framework of the 21 World Congress of Soil Science

The colour of the age

Similar lithologies, climate conditions and topography, but different age and therefore different colours as consequence of the weathering and the soil genesis processes. Composition winner of the European Journal of Soil Science Photocompetition 2011. British Society of Soil Science

Onil, Alicante, Spain

Petrocalcic horizon

Sierra de Mariola, Alicante, Spain

Calcium carbonate precipitation in a soil profile

Soil water repellency

Water repellency is a property that reduces the affinity of soil for water. Consequently, the surface of a water-repellent soil may offer strong resistance to water penetration (more info: Jordán et al., Catena 2013)

Sierra del Maigmó, Alicante, Spain

Colluvial soil profile where can be observed an old buried A horizon (Ab)

Soil monoliths

Examples of soil monolith exposed in the hall of the 21 World Congress of Soil Science. Rio de Janeiro (Brasil, 2018)

Puerto de Benifallim, Alicante, Spain

Soil is the living epidermis of the earth. There is no place in nature with a higher concentration of species than soils. However, this biodiversity is barely known as it is underground and is largely invisible to the human eye.

Preserving our soils is preserving #biodiversity

SOIL: A journey through time and space

Some of the pictures published in the chapter of the book “A Voyage Through Scales”. I am co-author of the chapter and author of most of pictures included (Quinton et al., 2015). Soil is the life support system of our planet. It helps make our air breathable, cleans the water we drink and supports production of the food we eat. This life support system relies upon processes that operate at spatial scales from less than a micron to over hundreds of metres or more, and over timescales from seconds to millennia. Chapter can be downloaded here: (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274832849_SOIL_A_Journey_Through_Time_and_Space)

Soil near Arenal de Petrer, Alicante, Spain

Typic Xeropsamment (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Coast of Wales, UK, 2012

Typic Quartzipsamment (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Sierra de la Grana, Alicante, Spain

An unusual way to see and understand what soil is; “the living epidermis of the earth”. In the picture can be observed a part of a calcic horizon beneath the roots of the tree

Coast of Wales, UK, 2012

It can take up to 1000 years to form just 2-3 cm of soil

Font Roja Natural Park, Alcoy, Alicante, Spain 2014

Soil is the second major carbon sink in planet after the oceans. It is estimated that soils can sequester around 20 Pg C in 25 years, more than 10 % of the anthropogenic emissions

Biar, Alicante, Spain

Soil, sediments, buried soils, paleosols? A beautiful soil profile to be studied

World Congress of Soil Science. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 2018

A world map colored by the assistants to the congress with soil pigments. In the picture Rosa M. Poch & Jorge Mataix-Solera

Torremanzanas, Alicante, Spain

Typic Calcixeroll (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Biar, Alicante, Spain

Typic Xerofluvent (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Torremanzanas, Alicante, Spain

Buried soil in old Mediterranean terraces when previous to forest it was an agricultural land use

Jalón, Alicante, Spain

Terra Rossa. Lithic Rhodoxeralf (Soil Taxonomy, 2014), Chromic Luvisol. (WRB, 2015)

La Granadella, Javea, Alicante, Spain

Terra Rossa “Between the plant and the rock”

Lisboa, Portugal, Spain: IX Congreso Ibérico de la Ciencia del Suelo

Dystric Stagnic Cambisol (Geoabruptic, Clayic, Magnesic, Raptic). WRB (2015)

Scotland (UK): Soil Judging Contest. 22nd World Congress of Soil Science

Humudept (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

Scotland (UK): Soil Judging Contest. 22nd World Congress of Soil Science

Haplohumod (Soil Taxonomy, 2014)

SECS_Spanish Team. Int. Soil Judging Contest. 22nd World Congress of Soil Science. Glasgow UK

Positions: Individual: 2nd; Teams: 4rd; Overal: 3rd

Humudept (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), I Competición de Suelos de Latino América. São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Brasil 2023.

Alfic Haplorthod (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), 33 Reunión Nacional de Suelos, Sierra de Urbasa, Navarra, 2023.

Humudept (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), I Competición de Suelos de Latino América. São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Brasil 2023.

Haplohumult (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), I Competición de Suelos de Latino América. São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Brasil 2023.

Haplohumult (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), I Competición de Suelos de Latino América. São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, Brasil 2023.

Alfic Haplorthod (Soil Taxonomy, 2022), 33 Reunión Nacional de Suelos, Sierra de Urbasa, Navarra, 2023.