Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1529-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1529-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description paper
| 
14 Apr 2025
Data description paper |
| 14 Apr 2025
| 14 Apr 2025
Distribution and sources of fallout 137Cs and 239+240Pu in equatorial and Southern Hemisphere reference soils
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Floriane Guillevic
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Surya Gupta
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Pierre-Alexis Chaboche
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Japan
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Katrin Meusburger
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Zurich, Switzerland
Pierre Sabatier
Laboratoire Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne (EDYTEM), CNRS, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, 73376 Le Bourget-du-Lac, France
Olivier Evrard
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Christine Alewell
Environmental Geosciences, Department of Environmental Science, University of Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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Marco M. Lehmann, Josie Geris, Ilja van Meerveld, Daniele Penna, Youri Rothfuss, Matteo Verdone, Pertti Ala-Aho, Matyas Arvai, Alise Babre, Philippe Balandier, Fabian Bernhard, Lukrecija Butorac, Simon Damien Carrière, Natalie C. Ceperley, Zuosinan Chen, Alicia Correa, Haoyu Diao, David Dubbert, Maren Dubbert, Fabio Ercoli, Marius G. Floriancic, Teresa E. Gimeno, Damien Gounelle, Frank Hagedorn, Christophe Hissler, Frédéric Huneau, Alberto Iraheta, Tamara Jakovljević, Nerantzis Kazakis, Zoltan Kern, Karl Knaebel, Johannes Kobler, Jiří Kocum, Charlotte Koeber, Gerbrand Koren, Angelika Kübert, Dawid Kupka, Samuel Le Gall, Aleksi Lehtonen, Thomas Leydier, Philippe Malagoli, Francesca Sofia Manca di Villahermosa, Chiara Marchina, Núria Martínez-Carreras, Nicolas Martin-StPaul, Hannu Marttila, Aline Meyer Oliveira, Gaël Monvoisin, Natalie Orlowski, Kadi Palmik-Das, Aurel Persoiu, Andrei Popa, Egor Prikaziuk, Cécile Quantin, Katja T. Rinne-Garmston, Clara Rohde, Martin Sanda, Matthias Saurer, Daniel Schulz, Michael Paul Stockinger, Christine Stumpp, Jean-Stéphane Venisse, Lukas Vlcek, Stylianos Voudouris, Björn Weeser, Mark E. Wilkinson, Giulia Zuecco, and Katrin Meusburger
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-409, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-409, 2024
Preprint under review for ESSD
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This study describes a unique large-scale isotope dataset to study water dynamics in European forests. Researchers collected data from 40 beech and spruce forest sites in spring and summer 2023, using a standardized method to ensure consistency. The results show that water sources for trees change between seasons and vary by tree species. This large dataset offers valuable information for understanding plant water use, improving ecohydrological models, and mapping water cycles across Europe.
Carlo Mologni, Marie Revel, Eric Chaumillon, Emmanuel Malet, Thibault Coulombier, Pierre Sabatier, Pierre Brigode, Gwenael Hervé, Anne-Lise Develle, Laure Schenini, Medhi Messous, Gourguen Davtian, Alain Carré, Delphine Bosch, Natacha Volto, Clément Ménard, Lamya Khalidi, and Fabien Arnaud
Clim. Past, 20, 1837–1860, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1837-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1837-2024, 2024
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The reactivity of local to regional hydrosystems to global changes remains understated in East African climate models. By reconstructing a chronicle of seasonal floods and droughts from a lacustrine sedimentary core, this paper highlights the impact of El Niño anomalies in the Awash River valley (Ethiopia). Studying regional hydrosystem feedbacks to global atmospheric anomalies is essential for better comprehending and mitigating the effects of global warming in extreme environments.
Tobias Karl David Weber, Lutz Weihermüller, Attila Nemes, Michel Bechtold, Aurore Degré, Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Simone Fatichi, Vilim Filipović, Surya Gupta, Tobias L. Hohenbrink, Daniel R. Hirmas, Conrad Jackisch, Quirijn de Jong van Lier, John Koestel, Peter Lehmann, Toby R. Marthews, Budiman Minasny, Holger Pagel, Martine van der Ploeg, Shahab Aldin Shojaeezadeh, Simon Fiil Svane, Brigitta Szabó, Harry Vereecken, Anne Verhoef, Michael Young, Yijian Zeng, Yonggen Zhang, and Sara Bonetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3391–3433, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, 2024
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Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are used to predict parameters of models describing the hydraulic properties of soils. The appropriateness of these predictions critically relies on the nature of the datasets for training the PTFs and the physical comprehensiveness of the models. This roadmap paper is addressed to PTF developers and users and critically reflects the utility and future of PTFs. To this end, we present a manifesto aiming at a paradigm shift in PTF research.
Mathilde Banjan, Christian Crouzet, Hervé Jomard, Pierre Sabatier, David Marsan, and Erwan Messager
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2024-83, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2024-83, 2024
Preprint under review for NHESS
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This research shows how lake sediments reveal seismic activity history over extended periods, surpassing historical records. Sediment analysis from Lake Aiguebelette in the Western Alps found 32 layers likely caused by earthquakes over the Holocene. Robust dating methods correlated these layers with known historical earthquakes. Results suggest Lake Aiguebelette's sediment records mainly reflect local seismic events, enhancing understanding of earthquake recurrence and regional seismic history.
Thomas Chalaux-Clergue, Rémi Bizeul, Pedro V. G. Batista, Núria Martínez-Carreras, J. Patrick Laceby, and Olivier Evrard
SOIL, 10, 109–138, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-109-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-10-109-2024, 2024
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Sediment source fingerprinting is a relevant tool to support soil conservation and watershed management in the context of accelerated soil erosion. To quantify sediment source contribution, it requires the selection of relevant tracers. We compared the three-step method and the consensus method and found very contrasted trends. The divergences between virtual mixtures and sample prediction ranges highlight that virtual mixture statistics are not directly transferable to actual samples.
Maude Biguenet, Eric Chaumillon, Pierre Sabatier, Antoine Bastien, Emeline Geba, Fabien Arnaud, Thibault Coulombier, and Nathalie Feuillet
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 3761–3788, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3761-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-3761-2023, 2023
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This work documents the impact of Hurricane Irma (2017) on the Codrington barrier and lagoon on Barbuda Island. Irma caused two wide breaches in the sandy barrier, which remained unopened for 250 years. The thick and extensive sand sheet at the top of the lagoon fill was attributed to Irma. This unique deposit in a 3700-year record confirms Irma's exceptional character. This case study illustrates the consequences of high-intensity hurricanes in low-lying islands in a global warming context.
Anthony Foucher, Sergio Morera, Michael Sanchez, Jhon Orrillo, and Olivier Evrard
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3191–3204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3191-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3191-2023, 2023
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The current research investigated, as a representative study case, the sediment accumulated in the Poechos Reservoir (located on the west coast of northern Peru) for retrospectively reconstructing the impact on sediment dynamics (1978–2019) of extreme phases of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, land cover changes after humid periods and agricultural expansion along the riverine system.
Olivier Evrard, Thomas Chalaux-Clergue, Pierre-Alexis Chaboche, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, and Yves Thiry
SOIL, 9, 479–497, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-479-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-479-2023, 2023
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Twelve years after the nuclear accident that occurred in Fukushima in March 2011, radioactive contamination remains a major concern in north-eastern Japan. The Japanese authorities completed an unprecedented decontamination programme. The central objective was to not expose local inhabitants to excessive radioactive doses. At the onset of the full reopening of the Difficult-to-Return Zone in 2023, the current review provides an update of a previous synthesis published in 2019.
Marie Dumont, Simon Gascoin, Marion Réveillet, Didier Voisin, François Tuzet, Laurent Arnaud, Mylène Bonnefoy, Montse Bacardit Peñarroya, Carlo Carmagnola, Alexandre Deguine, Aurélie Diacre, Lukas Dürr, Olivier Evrard, Firmin Fontaine, Amaury Frankl, Mathieu Fructus, Laure Gandois, Isabelle Gouttevin, Abdelfateh Gherab, Pascal Hagenmuller, Sophia Hansson, Hervé Herbin, Béatrice Josse, Bruno Jourdain, Irene Lefevre, Gaël Le Roux, Quentin Libois, Lucie Liger, Samuel Morin, Denis Petitprez, Alvaro Robledano, Martin Schneebeli, Pascal Salze, Delphine Six, Emmanuel Thibert, Jürg Trachsel, Matthieu Vernay, Léo Viallon-Galinier, and Céline Voiron
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3075–3094, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3075-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3075-2023, 2023
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Saharan dust outbreaks have profound effects on ecosystems, climate, health, and the cryosphere, but the spatial deposition pattern of Saharan dust is poorly known. Following the extreme dust deposition event of February 2021 across Europe, a citizen science campaign was launched to sample dust on snow over the Pyrenees and the European Alps. This campaign triggered wide interest and over 100 samples. The samples revealed the high variability of the dust properties within a single event.
Katrin Meusburger, Paolo Porto, Judith Kobler Waldis, and Christine Alewell
SOIL, 9, 399–409, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-399-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-9-399-2023, 2023
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Quantifying soil redistribution rates is a global challenge. Radiogenic tracers such as plutonium, namely 239+240Pu, released to the atmosphere by atmospheric bomb testing in the 1960s are promising tools to quantify soil redistribution. Direct validation of 239+240Pu as soil redistribution is, however, still missing. Here, we used a unique sediment yield time series in southern Italy, reaching back to the initial fallout of 239+240Pu to verify 239+240Pu as a soil redistribution tracer.
Pedro V. G. Batista, Peter Fiener, Simon Scheper, and Christine Alewell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3753–3770, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3753-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3753-2022, 2022
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Patchy agricultural landscapes have a large number of small fields, which are separated by linear features such as roads and field borders. When eroded sediments are transported out of the agricultural fields by surface runoff, these features can influence sediment connectivity. By use of measured data and a simulation model, we demonstrate how a dense road network (and its drainage system) facilitates sediment transport from fields to water courses in a patchy Swiss agricultural catchment.
Laurie Boithias, Olivier Ribolzi, Emma Rochelle-Newall, Chanthanousone Thammahacksa, Paty Nakhle, Bounsamay Soulileuth, Anne Pando-Bahuon, Keooudone Latsachack, Norbert Silvera, Phabvilay Sounyafong, Khampaseuth Xayyathip, Rosalie Zimmermann, Sayaphet Rattanavong, Priscia Oliva, Thomas Pommier, Olivier Evrard, Sylvain Huon, Jean Causse, Thierry Henry-des-Tureaux, Oloth Sengtaheuanghoung, Nivong Sipaseuth, and Alain Pierret
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2883–2894, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2883-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2883-2022, 2022
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Fecal pathogens in surface waters may threaten human health, especially in developing countries. The Escherichia coli (E. coli) database is organized in three datasets and includes 1602 records from 31 sampling stations located within the Mekong River basin in Lao PDR. Data have been used to identify the drivers of E. coli dissemination across tropical catchments, including during floods. Data may be further used to interpret new variables or to map the health risk posed by fecal pathogens.
Lena Wohlgemuth, Pasi Rautio, Bernd Ahrends, Alexander Russ, Lars Vesterdal, Peter Waldner, Volkmar Timmermann, Nadine Eickenscheidt, Alfred Fürst, Martin Greve, Peter Roskams, Anne Thimonier, Manuel Nicolas, Anna Kowalska, Morten Ingerslev, Päivi Merilä, Sue Benham, Carmen Iacoban, Günter Hoch, Christine Alewell, and Martin Jiskra
Biogeosciences, 19, 1335–1353, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1335-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1335-2022, 2022
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Gaseous mercury is present in the atmosphere all over the globe. During the growing season, plants take up mercury from the air in a similar way as CO2. We investigated which factors impact this vegetational mercury uptake by analyzing a large dataset of leaf mercury uptake rates of trees in Europe. As a result, we conclude that mercury uptake is foremost controlled by tree-intrinsic traits like physiological activity but also by climatic factors like dry conditions in the air and in soils.
Virginie Sellier, Oldrich Navratil, John Patrick Laceby, Cédric Legout, Anthony Foucher, Michel Allenbach, Irène Lefèvre, and Olivier Evrard
SOIL, 7, 743–766, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-743-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-743-2021, 2021
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Open-cast mining increases soil erosion and transfer of sediment in river systems. Providing a methodology to better understand the sediment dynamic of these catchments is essential to manage this pollution. In this study, different tracers such as elemental geochemistry or colour properties were tested to trace and quantify the mining source contributions to the sediment inputs in the Thio River catchment, one of the first areas exploited for nickel mining in New Caledonia (i.e. since 1880).
Lauren Zweifel, Maxim Samarin, Katrin Meusburger, and Christine Alewell
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 3421–3437, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3421-2021, 2021
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Mountainous grassland areas can be severely affected by soil erosion, such as by shallow landslides. With an automated mapping approach we are able to locate shallow-landslide sites on aerial images for 10 different study sites across Swiss mountain regions covering a total of 315 km2. Using a statistical model we identify important explanatory variables for shallow-landslide occurrence for the individual sites as well as across all regions, which highlight slope, aspect and terrain roughness.
Anthony Foucher, Pierre-Alexis Chaboche, Pierre Sabatier, and Olivier Evrard
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4951–4966, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4951-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4951-2021, 2021
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Sediment archives provide a powerful and unique tool for reconstructing the trajectory and the resilience of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems facing major environmental changes. Establishing an age depth–model is the first prerequisite of any paleo-investigation. This study synthesizes the distribution of two radionuclides classically used to this aim, providing a worldwide reference to help the scientific community reach a consensus for dating recent sedimentary archives.
Florian Wilken, Peter Fiener, Michael Ketterer, Katrin Meusburger, Daniel Iragi Muhindo, Kristof van Oost, and Sebastian Doetterl
SOIL, 7, 399–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-399-2021, 2021
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This study demonstrates the usability of fallout radionuclides 239Pu and 240Pu as a tool to assess soil degradation processes in tropical Africa, which is particularly valuable in regions with limited infrastructure and challenging monitoring conditions for landscape-scale soil degradation monitoring. The study shows no indication of soil redistribution in forest sites but substantial soil redistribution in cropland (sedimentation >40 cm in 55 years) with high variability.
Pierre Véquaud, Sylvie Derenne, Alexandre Thibault, Christelle Anquetil, Giuliano Bonanomi, Sylvie Collin, Sergio Contreras, Andrew T. Nottingham, Pierre Sabatier, Norma Salinas, Wesley P. Scott, Josef P. Werne, and Arnaud Huguet
Biogeosciences, 18, 3937–3959, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3937-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3937-2021, 2021
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A better understanding of past climate variations is essential to apprehend future climatic changes. The aim of this study is to investigate the applicability of specific organic compounds of bacterial origin, 3-hydroxy fatty acids (3-OH FAs), as temperature and pH proxies at the global level using an extended soil dataset. We show the major potential of 3-OH FAs as such proxies in terrestrial environments through the different models presented and their application for palaeoreconstruction.
Olivier Evrard, Caroline Chartin, J. Patrick Laceby, Yuichi Onda, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Atsushi Nakao, Olivier Cerdan, Hugo Lepage, Hugo Jaegler, Rosalie Vandromme, Irène Lefèvre, and Philippe Bonté
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 2555–2560, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2555-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-2555-2021, 2021
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This dataset provides an original compilation of radioactive dose rates and artificial radionuclide activities in sediment deposited after floods in the rivers draining the main radioactive pollution plume in Fukushuma, Japan, between November
2011 and November 2020. In total, 782 sediment samples collected from 27 to 71 locations during 16 fieldwork campaigns were analysed. This provides a unique post-accidental dataset to better understand the environmental fate of radionuclides.
Surya Gupta, Tomislav Hengl, Peter Lehmann, Sara Bonetti, and Dani Or
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 1593–1612, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1593-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-1593-2021, 2021
Maral Khodadadi, Christine Alewell, Mohammad Mirzaei, Ehssan Ehssan-Malahat, Farrokh Asadzadeh, Peter Strauss, and Katrin Meusburger
SOIL Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2021-2, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2021-2, 2021
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Forest soils store carbon and therefore play an important role in mitigating climate change impacts. Yet again, deforestation for farming and grazing purposes has grown rapidly over the last decades. Thus, its impacts on soil erosion and soil quality should be understood in order to adopt sustainable management measures. The results of this study indicated that deforestation can prompt soil loss by multiple orders of magnitude and deteriorate the soil quality in both topsoil and subsoil.
Claudia Mignani, Jörg Wieder, Michael A. Sprenger, Zamin A. Kanji, Jan Henneberger, Christine Alewell, and Franz Conen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 657–664, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-657-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-657-2021, 2021
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Most precipitation above land starts with ice in clouds. It is promoted by extremely rare particles. Some ice-nucleating particles (INPs) cause cloud droplets to already freeze above −15°C, a temperature at which many clouds begin to snow. We found that the abundance of such INPs among other particles of similar size is highest in precipitating air masses and lowest when air carries desert dust. This brings us closer to understanding the interactions between land, clouds, and precipitation.
Lena Wohlgemuth, Stefan Osterwalder, Carl Joseph, Ansgar Kahmen, Günter Hoch, Christine Alewell, and Martin Jiskra
Biogeosciences, 17, 6441–6456, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6441-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6441-2020, 2020
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Mercury uptake by trees from the air represents an important but poorly quantified pathway in the global mercury cycle. We determined mercury uptake fluxes by leaves and needles at 10 European forests which were 4 times larger than mercury deposition via rainfall. The amount of mercury taken up by leaves and needles depends on their age and growing height on the tree. Scaling up our measurements to the forest area of Europe, we estimate that each year 20 t of mercury is taken up by trees.
Miriam Groß-Schmölders, Pascal von Sengbusch, Jan Paul Krüger, Kristy Klein, Axel Birkholz, Jens Leifeld, and Christine Alewell
SOIL, 6, 299–313, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-299-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-6-299-2020, 2020
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Degradation turns peatlands into a source of CO2. There is no cost- or time-efficient method available for indicating peatland hydrology or the success of restoration. We found that 15N values have a clear link to microbial communities and degradation. We identified trends in natural, drained and rewetted conditions and concluded that 15N depth profiles can act as a reliable and efficient tool for obtaining information on current hydrology, restoration success and drainage history.
André-Marie Dendievel, Brice Mourier, Alexandra Coynel, Olivier Evrard, Pierre Labadie, Sophie Ayrault, Maxime Debret, Florence Koltalo, Yoann Copard, Quentin Faivre, Thomas Gardes, Sophia Vauclin, Hélène Budzinski, Cécile Grosbois, Thierry Winiarski, and Marc Desmet
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 12, 1153–1170, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1153-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-12-1153-2020, 2020
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Polychlorinated biphenyl indicators (ΣPCBi) from sediment cores, bed and flood deposits, suspended particulate matter, and dredged sediments along the major French rivers (1945–2018) are compared with socio-hydrological drivers. ΣPCBi increased from 1945 to the 1990s due to urban and industrial emissions. It gradually decreased with the implementation of regulations. Specific ΣPCBi fluxes reveal the amount of PCB-polluted sediment transported by French rivers to European seas over 40 years.
Pranav Hirave, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg, Axel Birkholz, and Christine Alewell
Biogeosciences, 17, 2169–2180, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2169-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2169-2020, 2020
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Sediment input into water bodies is a prominent threat to freshwater ecosystems. We tested the stability of tracers employed in freshwater sediment tracing based on compound-specific isotope analysis during early degradation in soil. While bulk δ13C values showed no stability, δ13C values of plant-derived fatty acids and n-alkanes were stably transferred to the soil without soil particle size dependency after an early degradation in organic horizons, thus indicating their suitability as tracers.
Pierre Sabatier, Marie Nicolle, Christine Piot, Christophe Colin, Maxime Debret, Didier Swingedouw, Yves Perrette, Marie-Charlotte Bellingery, Benjamin Chazeau, Anne-Lise Develle, Maxime Leblanc, Charlotte Skonieczny, Yoann Copard, Jean-Louis Reyss, Emmanuel Malet, Isabelle Jouffroy-Bapicot, Maëlle Kelner, Jérôme Poulenard, Julien Didier, Fabien Arnaud, and Boris Vannière
Clim. Past, 16, 283–298, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-283-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-16-283-2020, 2020
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High-resolution multiproxy analysis of sediment core from a high-elevation lake on Corsica allows us to reconstruct past African dust inputs to the western Mediterranean area over the last 3 millennia. Millennial variations of Saharan dust input have been correlated with the long-term southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, while short-term variations were associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation and total solar irradiance after and before 1070 cal BP, respectively.
Olivier Evrard, J. Patrick Laceby, and Atsushi Nakao
SOIL, 5, 333–350, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-333-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-5-333-2019, 2019
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The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011 resulted in the contamination of Japanese landscapes with radioactive fallout. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the decontamination strategies and their potential effectiveness in Japan. Overall, we believe it is important to synthesise the remediation lessons learnt following the FDNPP nuclear accident, which could be fundamental if radioactive fallout occurred somewhere on Earth in the future.
Marlène Lavrieux, Axel Birkholz, Katrin Meusburger, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg, Adrian Gilli, Christian Stamm, and Christine Alewell
Biogeosciences, 16, 2131–2146, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2131-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2131-2019, 2019
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A fingerprinting approach using compound-specific stable isotopes was applied to a lake sediment core to reconstruct erosion processes over the past 150 years in a Swiss catchment. Even though the reconstruction of land use and eutrophication history was successful, the observation of comparatively low δ13C values of plant-derived fatty acids in the sediment suggests their alteration within the lake. Thus, their use as a tool for source attribution in sediment cores needs further investigation.
Claudia Mignani, Jessie M. Creamean, Lukas Zimmermann, Christine Alewell, and Franz Conen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 877–886, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-877-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-877-2019, 2019
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A snow crystal can be generated from an ice nucleating particle or from an ice splinter. In this study we made use of the fact that snow crystals with a particular shape (dendrites) grow within a narrow temperature range (−12 to −17 °C) and can be analysed individually for the presence of an ice nucleating particle. Our direct approach revealed that only one in eight crystals contained such a particle and was of primary origin. The other crystals must have grown from ice splinters.
Laurent Fouinat, Pierre Sabatier, Fernand David, Xavier Montet, Philippe Schoeneich, Eric Chaumillon, Jérôme Poulenard, and Fabien Arnaud
Clim. Past, 14, 1299–1313, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1299-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-1299-2018, 2018
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In the context of a warming climate, mountain environments are especially vulnerable to a change in the risk pattern. Our study focuses on the past evolution of wet avalanches, likely triggered by warmer temperatures destabilizing the snow cover. In the last 3300 years we observed an increase of wet avalanche occurrence related to human activities, intensifying pressure on forest cover, as well as favorable climate conditions such as warmer temperatures coinciding with retreating glacier phases.
Laura Arata, Katrin Meusburger, Alexandra Bürge, Markus Zehringer, Michael E. Ketterer, Lionel Mabit, and Christine Alewell
SOIL, 3, 113–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-113-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-3-113-2017, 2017
Laurent Fouinat, Pierre Sabatier, Jérôme Poulenard, Jean-Louis Reyss, Xavier Montet, and Fabien Arnaud
Earth Surf. Dynam., 5, 199–209, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-199-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-5-199-2017, 2017
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This study focuses on the creation of a novel CT scan methodology at the crossroads between medical imagery and earth sciences. Using specific density signatures, pebbles and/or organic matter characterizing wet avalanche deposits can be quantified in lake sediments. Starting from AD 1880, we were able to identify eight periods of higher avalanche activity from sediment cores. The use of CT scans, alongside existing approaches, opens up new possibilities in a wide variety of geoscience studies.
Emiliano Stopelli, Franz Conen, Caroline Guilbaud, Jakob Zopfi, Christine Alewell, and Cindy E. Morris
Biogeosciences, 14, 1189–1196, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1189-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1189-2017, 2017
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Based on the analysis of precipitation collected at high altitude, this study provides a relevant advancement in the assessment of the major factors responsible for the abundance and variability of airborne bacterial cells and Pseudomonas syringae in relation to ice nucleators. This is of prime importance to obtain a better understanding of the impact of ice-nucleation-active organisms on the development of precipitation and to determine the dispersal potential of airborne microorganisms.
Simon Schmidt, Christine Alewell, Panos Panagos, and Katrin Meusburger
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 4359–4373, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4359-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4359-2016, 2016
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We present novel research on the seasonal dynamics of the impact of rainfall (R-factor) on the mobilization of topsoil as soil erosion by water for Switzerland. A modeling approach was chosen that enables the dynamical mapping of the R-factor. Based on the maps and modeling results, we could investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of that factor, which is high for Switzerland. With these results, agronomists can introduce selective erosion control measures.
Emiliano Stopelli, Franz Conen, Cindy E. Morris, Erik Herrmann, Stephan Henne, Martin Steinbacher, and Christine Alewell
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 8341–8351, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8341-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-8341-2016, 2016
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Knowing the variability of ice nucleating particles (INPs) helps determining their role in the formation of precipitation. Here we describe and predict the concentrations of INPs active at −8 °C in precipitation samples collected at Jungfraujoch (CH, 3580 m a.s.l.). A high abundance of these INPs can be expected whenever a coincidence of high wind speed and first precipitation from an air mass occurs. This expands the set of conditions where such INPs could affect the onset of precipitation.
J. Patrick Laceby, Caroline Chartin, Olivier Evrard, Yuichi Onda, Laurent Garcia-Sanchez, and Olivier Cerdan
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 2467–2482, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2467-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-2467-2016, 2016
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Characterizing rainfall erosivity in the Fukushima fallout-impacted region is important for predicting radiocesium behavior. The majority of rainfall (60 %) and rainfall erosivity (86 %) occurs between June and October. Tropical cyclones contribute 22 % of the precipitation though 44 % of the rainfall erosivity. Understanding the rainfall regime and the influence of tropical cyclones is important managing radiocesium transfers in contaminated catchments in the Fukushima prefecture.
Christine Alewell, Axel Birkholz, Katrin Meusburger, Yael Schindler Wildhaber, and Lionel Mabit
Biogeosciences, 13, 1587–1596, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1587-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1587-2016, 2016
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Origin of suspended sediments in rivers is of crucial importance for optimization of catchment management. Sediment source attribution to a lowland river in central Switzerland with compound specific stable isotopes analysis (CSIA) indicated that 65 % of the suspended sediments originated from agricultural land during base flow, while forest was the dominant source during high flow. We achieved significant differences in CSIA signature from land uses dominated by C3 plant cultivation.
S. Osterwalder, J. Fritsche, C. Alewell, M. Schmutz, M. B. Nilsson, G. Jocher, J. Sommar, J. Rinne, and K. Bishop
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 9, 509–524, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-509-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-9-509-2016, 2016
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Human activities have increased mercury (Hg) cycling between land and atmosphere. To define landscapes as sinks or sources of Hg we have developed an advanced REA system for long-term measurements of gaseous elemental Hg exchange. It was tested in two contrasting environments: above Basel, Switzerland, and a peatland in Sweden. Both landscapes showed net Hg emission (15 and 3 ng m−2 h−1, respectively). The novel system will help to advance our understanding of Hg exchange on an ecosystem scale.
J. P. Krüger, J. Leifeld, S. Glatzel, S. Szidat, and C. Alewell
Biogeosciences, 12, 2861–2871, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2861-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-2861-2015, 2015
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Biogeochemical soil parameters are studied to detect peatland degradation along a land use gradient (intensive, extensive, near-natural). Stable carbon isotopes, radiocarbon ages and ash content confirm peat growth in the near-natural bog but also indicate previous degradation. When the bog is managed extensively or intensively as grassland, all parameters indicate degradation and substantial C loss of the order of 18.8 to 42.9 kg C m-2.
E. Gourdin, S. Huon, O. Evrard, O. Ribolzi, T. Bariac, O. Sengtaheuanghoung, and S. Ayrault
Biogeosciences, 12, 1073–1089, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1073-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1073-2015, 2015
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The origin and dynamics of particulate organic matter were studied in a 11.6km² catchment (northern Laos) during the first erosive flood of the 2012 rainy season. Upstream suspended sediments mainly originated from cultivated soils labelled by their C3 vegetation cover. In contrast, channel banks with C4 vegetation supplied significant quantities of sediment to the river downstream. Swamps located along the main stream acted as sediment filters and controlled the composition of suspended POM.
K. Meusburger, G. Leitinger, L. Mabit, M. H. Mueller, A. Walter, and C. Alewell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 3763–3775, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3763-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-3763-2014, 2014
H. Lepage, O. Evrard, Y. Onda, I. Lefèvre, J. P. Laceby, and S. Ayrault
SOIL Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/soild-1-401-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/soild-1-401-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
S. Stanchi, M. Freppaz, E. Ceaglio, M. Maggioni, K. Meusburger, C. Alewell, and E. Zanini
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 1761–1771, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-1761-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-1761-2014, 2014
J. P. Krüger, J. Leifeld, and C. Alewell
Biogeosciences, 11, 3369–3380, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-3369-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-3369-2014, 2014
E. Stopelli, F. Conen, L. Zimmermann, C. Alewell, and C. E. Morris
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 129–134, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-129-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-129-2014, 2014
K. Meusburger, L. Mabit, J.-H. Park, T. Sandor, and C. Alewell
Biogeosciences, 10, 5627–5638, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5627-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-5627-2013, 2013
K. Meusburger, G. Leitinger, L. Mabit, M. H. Mueller, and C. Alewell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-9505-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hessd-10-9505-2013, 2013
Preprint withdrawn
M. H. Mueller, R. Weingartner, and C. Alewell
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 1661–1679, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1661-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-1661-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Domain: ESSD – Land | Subject: Pedology
A China dataset of soil properties for land surface modelling (version 2, CSDLv2)
Mapping global distributions, environmental controls, and uncertainties of apparent top- and subsoil organic carbon turnover times
An integrated dataset of ground hydrothermal regimes and soil nutrients monitored in some previously burned areas in hemiboreal forests in Northeast China during 2016–2022
Providing quality-assessed and standardised soil data to support global mapping and modelling (WoSIS snapshot 2023)
Global patterns of soil organic carbon dynamics in the 20–100 cm soil profile for different ecosystems: A global meta-analysis
BIS-4D: mapping soil properties and their uncertainties at 25 m resolution in the Netherlands
European topsoil bulk density and organic carbon stock database (0–20 cm) using machine-learning-based pedotransfer functions
Improving the Latin America and Caribbean Soil Information System (SISLAC) database enhances its usability and scalability
The patterns of soil nitrogen stocks and C : N stoichiometry under impervious surfaces in China
Mapping of peatlands in the forested landscape of Sweden using lidar-based terrain indices
Harmonized Soil Database of Ecuador (HESD): data from 2009 to 2015
ChinaCropSM1 km: a fine 1 km daily soil moisture dataset for dryland wheat and maize across China during 1993–2018
Colombian soil texture: building a spatial ensemble model
SGD-SM 2.0: an improved seamless global daily soil moisture long-term dataset from 2002 to 2022
A high spatial resolution soil carbon and nitrogen dataset for the northern permafrost region based on circumpolar land cover upscaling
A repository of measured soil freezing characteristic curves: 1921 to 2021
A compiled soil respiration dataset at different time scales for forest ecosystems across China from 2000 to 2018
Gaosong Shi, Wenye Sun, Wei Shangguan, Zhongwang Wei, Hua Yuan, Lu Li, Xiaolin Sun, Ye Zhang, Hongbin Liang, Danxi Li, Feini Huang, Qingliang Li, and Yongjiu Dai
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 517–543, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-517-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-517-2025, 2025
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In this study, we developed the second version of China's high-resolution soil information grid using legacy soil samples and advanced machine learning. This version predicts over 20 soil properties at six depths, providing accurate soil variation maps across China. It outperforms previous versions and global products, offering valuable data for hydrological and ecological analyses and Earth system modelling, enhancing our understanding of soil roles in environmental processes.
Lei Zhang, Lin Yang, Thomas W. Crowther, Constantin M. Zohner, Sebastian Doetterl, Gerard B. M. Heuvelink, Alexandre M. J.-C. Wadoux, A.-Xing Zhu, Yue Pu, Feixue Shen, Haozhi Ma, Yibiao Zou, and Chenghu Zhou
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-618, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-618, 2025
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
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Current understanding of depth-dependent variations and controls of soil organic carbon turnover time (τ) at global, biome, and local scales remain incomplete. We used the state-of-the-art soil and root profile databases and satellite observations to generate spatially-explicit new global maps of top- and subsoil τ, with quantified uncertainties for better user applications. The new insights from resulting maps facilitate modelling efforts of carbon cycle and support effective carbon management.
Xiaoying Li, Huijun Jin, Qi Feng, Qingbai Wu, Hongwei Wang, Ruixia He, Dongliang Luo, Xiaoli Chang, Raul-David Şerban, and Tao Zhan
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 5009–5026, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5009-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-5009-2024, 2024
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In Northeast China, the permafrost is more sensitive to climate warming and fire disturbances than the boreal and Arctic permafrost. Since 2016, a continuous ground hydrothermal regime and soil nutrient content observation system has been gradually established in Northeast China. The integrated dataset includes soil moisture content, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium, ground temperatures at depths of 0–20 m, and active layer thickness from 2016 to 2022.
Niels H. Batjes, Luis Calisto, and Luis M. de Sousa
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 4735–4765, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4735-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-4735-2024, 2024
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Soils are an important provider of ecosystem services. This dataset provides quality-assessed and standardised soil data to support digital soil mapping and environmental applications at a broad scale. The underpinning soil profiles were shared by a wide range of data providers. Special attention was paid to the standardisation of soil property definitions, analytical method descriptions and property values. We present three measures to assess "fitness for intended use" of the standardised data.
Haiyan Wang, Yulong Yin, Tingyao Cai, Xingshuai Tian, Zhong Chen, Kai He, Zihan Wang, Haiqing Gong, Qi Miao, Yingcheng Wang, Yiyan Chu, Qingsong Zhang, Minghao Zhuang, and Zhengling Cui
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-100, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2024-100, 2024
Revised manuscript accepted for ESSD
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Accurately quantifying the distribution of soil profile SOC stocks is crucial for C sequestration and mitigation. The detailed spatial subsoil SOC data are the scientific basis for environmental protection as well as the development of Earth system models. Based on multiple environmental variables and soil profile data, this study use machine-learning approaches to evaluate evaluated the SOC stocks and their spatial distribution at a depth interval of 0–1 m of various ecosystems.
Anatol Helfenstein, Vera L. Mulder, Mirjam J. D. Hack-ten Broeke, Maarten van Doorn, Kees Teuling, Dennis J. J. Walvoort, and Gerard B. M. Heuvelink
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2941–2970, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2941-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2941-2024, 2024
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Earth system models and decision support systems greatly benefit from high-resolution soil information with quantified accuracy. Here we introduce BIS-4D, a statistical modeling platform that predicts nine essential soil properties and their uncertainties at 25 m resolution in surface 2 m across the Netherlands. Using machine learning informed by up to 856 000 soil observations coupled with 366 spatially explicit environmental variables, prediction accuracy was the highest for clay, sand and pH.
Songchao Chen, Zhongxing Chen, Xianglin Zhang, Zhongkui Luo, Calogero Schillaci, Dominique Arrouays, Anne Christine Richer-de-Forges, and Zhou Shi
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 2367–2383, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2367-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-2367-2024, 2024
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A new dataset for topsoil bulk density (BD) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (0–20 cm) across Europe using machine learning was generated. The proposed approach performed better in BD prediction and slightly better in SOC stock prediction than earlier-published PTFs. The outcomes present a meaningful advancement in enhancing the accuracy of BD, and the resultant topsoil BD and SOC stock datasets across Europe enable more precise soil hydrological and biological modeling.
Sergio Díaz-Guadarrama, Viviana M. Varón-Ramírez, Iván Lizarazo, Mario Guevara, Marcos Angelini, Gustavo A. Araujo-Carrillo, Jainer Argeñal, Daphne Armas, Rafael A. Balta, Adriana Bolivar, Nelson Bustamante, Ricardo O. Dart, Martin Dell Acqua, Arnulfo Encina, Hernán Figueredo, Fernando Fontes, Joan S. Gutiérrez-Díaz, Wilmer Jiménez, Raúl S. Lavado, Jesús F. Mansilla-Baca, Maria de Lourdes Mendonça-Santos, Lucas M. Moretti, Iván D. Muñoz, Carolina Olivera, Guillermo Olmedo, Christian Omuto, Sol Ortiz, Carla Pascale, Marco Pfeiffer, Iván A. Ramos, Danny Ríos, Rafael Rivera, Lady M. Rodriguez, Darío M. Rodríguez, Albán Rosales, Kenset Rosales, Guillermo Schulz, Víctor Sevilla, Leonardo M. Tenti, Ronald Vargas, Gustavo M. Vasques, Yusuf Yigini, and Yolanda Rubiano
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 1229–1246, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1229-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-1229-2024, 2024
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In this work, the Latin America and Caribbean Soil Information System (SISLAC) database (https://54.229.242.119/sislac/es) was revised to generate an improved version of the data. Rules for data enhancement were defined. In addition, other datasets available in the region were included. Subsequently, through a principal component analysis (PCA), the main soil characteristics for the region were analyzed. We hope this dataset can help mitigate problems such as food security and global warming.
Qian Ding, Hua Shao, Chi Zhang, and Xia Fang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4599–4612, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4599-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4599-2023, 2023
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A soil survey in 41 Chinese cities showed the soil nitrogen (N) in impervious surface areas (ISA; NISA) was 0.59±0.35 kg m−2, lower than in pervious soils. Eastern China had the highest NISA but the lowest natural soil N in China. Soil N decreased linearly with depth in ISA but nonlinearly in natural ecosystems. Temperature was negatively correlated with C : NISA but positively correlated with natural soil C : N. The unique NISA patterns imply intensive disturbance in N cycle by soil sealing.
Lukas Rimondini, Thomas Gumbricht, Anders Ahlström, and Gustaf Hugelius
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3473–3482, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3473-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3473-2023, 2023
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Peatlands have historically sequestrated large amounts of carbon and contributed to atmospheric cooling. However, human activities and climate change may instead turn them into considerable carbon emitters. In this study, we produced high-quality maps showing the extent of peatlands in the forests of Sweden, one of the most peatland-dense countries in the world. The maps are publicly available and may be used to support work promoting sustainable peatland management and combat their degradation.
Daphne Armas, Mario Guevara, Fernando Bezares, Rodrigo Vargas, Pilar Durante, Víctor Osorio, Wilmer Jiménez, and Cecilio Oyonarte
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 431–445, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-431-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-431-2023, 2023
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The global need for updated soil datasets has increased. Our main objective was to synthesize and harmonize soil profile information collected by two different projects in Ecuador between 2009 and 2015.The main result was the development of the Harmonized Soil Database of Ecuador (HESD) that includes information from 13 542 soil profiles with over 51 713 measured soil horizons, including 92 different edaphic variables, and follows international standards for archiving and sharing soil data.
Fei Cheng, Zhao Zhang, Huimin Zhuang, Jichong Han, Yuchuan Luo, Juan Cao, Liangliang Zhang, Jing Zhang, Jialu Xu, and Fulu Tao
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 395–409, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-395-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-395-2023, 2023
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We generated a 1 km daily soil moisture dataset for dryland wheat and maize across China (ChinaCropSM1 km) over 1993–2018 through random forest regression, based on in situ observations. Our improved products have a remarkably better quality compared with the public global products in terms of both spatial and time dimensions by integrating an irrigation module (crop type, phenology, soil depth). The dataset may be useful for agriculture drought monitoring and crop yield forecasting studies.
Viviana Marcela Varón-Ramírez, Gustavo Alfonso Araujo-Carrillo, and Mario Antonio Guevara Santamaría
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4719–4741, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4719-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4719-2022, 2022
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These are the first national soil texture maps obtained via digital soil mapping. We built clay, sand, and silt maps using spatial assembling with the best possible predictions at different depths. Also, we identified the better model for each pixel. This work was done to address the lack of soil texture maps in Colombia, and it can provide soil information for water-related applications, ecosystem services, and agricultural and crop modeling.
Qiang Zhang, Qiangqiang Yuan, Taoyong Jin, Meiping Song, and Fujun Sun
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4473–4488, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4473-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4473-2022, 2022
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Compared to previous seamless global daily soil moisture (SGD-SM 1.0) products, SGD-SM 2.0 enlarges the temporal scope from 2002 to 2022. By fusing auxiliary precipitation information with the long short-term memory convolutional neural network (LSTM-CNN) model, SGD-SM 2.0 can consider sudden extreme weather conditions for 1 d in global daily soil moisture products and is significant for full-coverage global daily hydrologic monitoring, rather than averaging monthly–quarterly–yearly results.
Juri Palmtag, Jaroslav Obu, Peter Kuhry, Andreas Richter, Matthias B. Siewert, Niels Weiss, Sebastian Westermann, and Gustaf Hugelius
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 4095–4110, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4095-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4095-2022, 2022
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The northern permafrost region covers 22 % of the Northern Hemisphere and holds almost twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. This paper presents data from 651 soil pedons encompassing more than 6500 samples from 16 different study areas across the northern permafrost region. We use this dataset together with ESA's global land cover dataset to estimate soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage up to 300 cm soil depth, with estimated values of 813 Pg for carbon and 55 Pg for nitrogen.
Élise G. Devoie, Stephan Gruber, and Jeffrey M. McKenzie
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 3365–3377, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3365-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-3365-2022, 2022
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Soil freezing characteristic curves (SFCCs) relate the temperature of a soil to its ice content. SFCCs are needed in all physically based numerical models representing freezing and thawing soils, and they affect the movement of water in the subsurface, biogeochemical processes, soil mechanics, and ecology. Over a century of SFCC data exist, showing high variability in SFCCs based on soil texture, water content, and other factors. This repository summarizes all available SFCC data and metadata.
Hongru Sun, Zhenzhu Xu, and Bingrui Jia
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2951–2961, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2951-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2951-2022, 2022
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We compiled a new soil respiration (Rs) database of China's forests from 568 studies published up to 2018. The hourly, monthly, and annual samples were 8317, 5003, and 634, respectively. Most of the Rs data are shown in figures but were seldom exploited. For the first time, these data were digitized, accounting for 82 % of samples. Rs measured with common methods was selected (Li-6400, Li-8100, Li-8150, gas chromatography) and showed small differences of ~10 %. Bamboo had the highest Rs.
Cited articles
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Campbell, B. L., Loughran, R. J., and Elliott, G. L.: Caesium-137 as an indicator of geomorphic processes in a drainage basin system, Aust. Geogr., 15, 49–64, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8470.1982.tb00393.x, 1982.
Certini, G. and Scalenghe, R.: Soil is the best testifier of the diachronous dawn of the Anthropocene, J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sc., 184, 183–186, https://doi.org/10.1002/jpln.202000481, 2021.
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Short summary
Fallout radionuclides (FRNs) such as 137Cs and 239+240Pu are considered to be critical tools in various environmental research. Here, we compiled reference soil data on these FRNs from the literature to build a comprehensive database. Using this database, we determined the distribution and sources of 137Cs and 239+240Pu. We also demonstrated how the database can be used to identify the environmental factors that influence their distribution using a machine learning algorithm.
Fallout radionuclides (FRNs) such as 137Cs and 239+240Pu are considered to be critical tools in...
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