Soil Survey

 Giddings Probe - 1994 Hydraulic Soil Coring Machine http://item.ebay.com/280473359590
 I have used several truck mounted Giddings Probes and have always admired the design.

Climate change gets the blame for a rising tide of house foundation problems.

Soil types tend to attract lawyers and consultants when local governments classify them as unfit for development. 

A Technical Soil Services, (NRCS-NEDC-000249), session is being held in Lincoln, NE, April 19-23, 2010.  The session has been set up in AgLearn and is available for all to register.

Soil Survey in United Arab Emirates. Closes January 27, 2010  

The 11th edition of Keys to Soil Taxonomy, as well as a summary of all changes for this new version of the Keys is available at: http://soils.usda.gov/technical/classification/tax_keys/

"A soil scientist carries a few basic pieces of equipment, including a level, soil testing kit (strapped to his belt), a spade and an augur."

The summer soil institute provides a unique opportunity to gain a fundamental and applied understanding of soil biology, chemistry, and physics with world-renowned faculty. Students will gain hands-on experience with lab and field techniques and will gain an enhanced appreciation for the importance of managing our soil resources sustainably. The course will be limited to a maximum of 25 students. Applications will be reviewed starting March 12.

Raymond B. Daniels, 84, retired USDA-NRCS and NCSU soil scientist died June 21, 2009 in Richmond, VA. Ray was born and raised on an Iowa farm and educated at Iowa State University, receiving his Ph.D. in 1957. He initiated his career with NRCS in Iowa and moved to NC in 1960. It was on the Atlantic Coastal Plain where Ray distinguished himself as an outstanding soil geomorphologist.

Donald D. Patterson is being buried today in the North Dakota land that was his home for more than half a century. Don, 82, was one of my mentors and a professor at North Dakota State University, Fargo, in the Soil Science Department. Originially from northern Iowa, in the 1950's he was a member of the rugged survey crew that criss-crossed the state producing general soil survey area maps for the Agricultural College. Don was a meticulous soil scientist, and willing to share his in-depth knowledge of the State's soils. He was deeply involved with the professional soil classifiers association of North Dakota, and was instrumental in obtaining the soil classifier registration law in the state. In addition to field research in soil classification, Don's interests turned to land valuation and related important uses of soils information. He will be missed by those whom he selflessly helped and advised.

USFS will soon (around July 15) be posting a request for quotes on a soil survey contract order 3 for 66,800 acres of field mapping on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF. The pre solicitation notice is available on Fed Biz Opps.

Maine needs mappers for this field season. To this end, NRCS has posted a grant opportunity for private sector cooperators.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is seeking proposals to provide technical assistance pertaining to soil science, hydrology, engineering, fluvial and hillslope geomorphology, wetland science, and botany. Those selected would be contracted through a 2 year master services agreement, from which task orders would be issued on an as needed basis.

On April 16 USDA-NRCS released a new verson of Web Soil Survey. Noticeable changes for data availability:

• SSURGO tabular attribute data downloaded for the Area of Interest (AOI) is now preloaded into the Access template database.
• Soil Survey Status item has been added to the toolbar for a quick link the Data Availability status map

The global soil mapping effort aims to update and catalog the world’s soil information accurately within one clearinghouse called GlobalSoilMap.net. V1 magazine editor Matt Ball spoke with the North American coordinator of this effort, Jon Hempel, Co-Director-National Geospatial Development Center, Soil Business Area Analysis Chair at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Morgantown, West Virginia.

View transcript of interview at http://www.vector1media.com/dialogue/interview/soil-data-goes-global/