Applications of proximal gamma ray soil sensor systems. Eddie Loonstra EGU 2011, SSS5.6 Vienna The Soil Company, Leonard Springerlaan 9, 9727 KB Groningen,

Applications of proximal gamma ray soil sensor systems.

Eddie LoonstraEGU 2011, SSS5.6 Vienna

The Soil Company, Leonard Springerlaan 9, 9727 KB Groningen, The Netherlands +31 50 5773240, [email protected] , www.soilcompany.com

Contents

1. Introduction Mole technology

2. Mole Nuclide Maps Apps

3. Mole derived Soil Maps Apps

4. Conclusion

Mole technology

• Soils contain heavy unstable isotopes.

• Disintegration of atoms.

• Radio active radiation: α, β, and γ.

Mole technology

Main emitted γ radiation and their half life times:

• 238U 4.46*109 yr

• 232Th 1.39*1010 yr

• 40K 1.3*109 yr

• 137Cs 30 yr

Mole technology

• 1992 State University Groningen (RuG) -> The Soil Company.

• Mobile soil sensor system The Mole:– Detector material CsI

– Standard spectra crystal specific

– Full Spectrum Analysis (Chi-

squared algorithm)

Surveys

Mole nuclide maps

• Quantitative output in Bq/kg: TC, 40K, 238U, 232Th, and 137Cs.

123250 123300 123350 123400 123450

416450

416500

416550

416600

416650

416700

416750

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416850

416900

123250 123300 123350 123400 123450

416450

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416550

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416650

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416750

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416850

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123250 123300 123350 123400 123450

416450

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123250 123300 123350 123400 123450

416450

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416550

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123250 123300 123350 123400 123450

416450

416500

416550

416600

416650

416700

416750

416800

416850

416900

Mole nuclide maps

• Quality of soil:– Sport pitches during

construction.

– Variation Th to predict clay variation.

• Contamination– Tsjernobyl

– High unnatural U content

• General soil types

213700 213720 213740 213760 213780 213800

566460

566480

566500

566520

566540

566560

11.522.533.544.555.566.577.588.599.51010.51111.51212.513

T h

38.032 38.034 38.036 38.038 38.04 38.042 38.044 38.046 38.048 38.05

53.878

53.88

53.882

53.884

53.886

53.888

53.89

53.892Cs

110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370

Mole nuclide maps

• Soil abnormalities or disturbances– Dump spots of waste

– Old brooks

– Archeological sites

– Deposits of dredging

1 9 8 1 0 0 1 9 8 2 0 0 1 9 8 3 0 0 1 9 8 4 0 0 1 9 8 5 0 0 1 9 8 6 0 0 1 9 8 7 0 0

5 4 1 6 0 0

5 4 1 7 0 0

5 4 1 8 0 0

5 4 1 9 0 0

5 4 2 0 0 0

5 4 2 1 0 0

5 4 2 2 0 0

T C

182550 182600 182650 182700 182750

437850

437900

437950

438000

438050

438100 T C

1 8 1 0 0 0 1 8 1 0 5 0 1 8 1 1 0 0 1 8 1 1 5 0 1 8 1 2 0 0 1 8 1 2 5 0 1 8 1 3 0 0

4 9 8 8 0 0

4 9 8 8 5 0

4 9 8 9 0 0

4 9 8 9 5 0

4 9 9 0 0 0

4 9 9 0 5 0

4 9 9 1 0 0

4 9 9 1 5 0

T C

135850 135900 135950 136000432500

432550

432600

432650

432700

432750

Mole derived Soil Maps• Regression analysis comparing nuclide information with soil

properties.• Correlations gamma and physical soil properties relative

comparable for different regions and soil types (from Sweden down to India).

loam = 1.096(U+Th) - 9.1042

R2 = 0.86

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 20 40 60 80 100

U + Th in Bq/kg

loa

m c

on

ten

t in

%

OM = 0.0023K2 - 0.7717K + 71.734

R2 = 0.84

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

0.0 50.0 100.0 150.0 200.0 250.0

40K in Bq/kg

Org

anic

Mat

ter

in %

Mole derived Soil Maps• Texture maps:

– Clay%, sand%, grain size, soil type.– R2 0.75 – 0.9.

• Nutrient maps: – Organic matter, pH, P, K, Mg, Ca. – R2 0.6 – 0.85.

• Pedotransfer maps: – bulk density, water retention, field capacity, saturated hydraulic

conductivity.– Models WUR.

• Risk maps:– Compaction, Trichodorides.– Models.

Mole derived Soil Maps

Quality of soil, maintenance.

• Bulb growers:– Barrenness of soil based on %

sand, % OM and grain size.

• Soccer pitches: – % sand, % OM, % clay and

grain size.

• Garden bushes & trees:– % sand, % OM, % clay and

grain size.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

1344150 1344250 1344350 1344450 1344550 1344650 1344750 1344850 1344950 1345050 1345150

6463625

6463725

6463825

6463925

6464025

6464125

6464225

6464325

6464425

6464525

6464625

0 100 200 300 400

Hush

Bjertorp 34

25.3 ha

200700604

N

Average: 2.6

Name:

Field:

Size:

Subject:

O rganic m atter (% )

Organic matter (%)

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

231250 231270 231290 231310 231330 231350 231370

584050

584070

584090

584110

584130

584150

584170

0 10 20 30 40

Naam:

Perceel:

Projectie:

Gemeente Groningen

Old Forward 2

200801102

Gem iddelde: 21.6

W aterretentie(M axim aal % voor de p lant beschikbare hoeveelheid

vocht / cm 3 bodem )

W aterretentie

N

Mole derived Soil Maps

Quality of soil for crop

• Golfcourse– pH and liming vs street grass

• Agriculture, risk spots: – Variation pH for onions.

– Clay content as habitat for trichodorides for potatoes.

N

142600 142800 143000 143200

467200

467400

467600

467800

468000

468200

468400

468600

468800

0

4.5

0 100 200 300 400

pH

pH

Naam:

Holenr:

Projectie:

Hilversumsche Golfclub

1 t/m 18

Mole derived Soil Maps

Quality of soil for crop

• Golfcourse– pH and liming vs street grass

• Agriculture, risk spots: – Variation pH for onions.

– Clay content as habitat for trichodorides for potatoes.

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

244825 245025 245225 245425 245625 245825 246025 246225

616525

616725

616925

617125

617325

617525

617725

617925

0 100 200 300

Naam :

Perceel:

Omvang:

Projectie:

Holstar

Tarwestoppel

109 ha

Gemiddelde: 5.4

201001701

pH

pH

N

52600 52800 53000 53200 53400 53600 53800 54000 54200 54400

393300

393500

393700

393900

394100

394300

394500

394700

394900

395100

0 100 200 300 400

Naam:

Perceel:

Projectie:

KMW P

Trichodorus overzicht

200402999

N

Trichodorus ris ico

Trichodorus risico

H oog ris ico

G em atigd ris ico

Laag ris ico

zeer gem atigdris ico

Mole derived Soil Maps

Precision Agriculture (NL)

• Variable rate application– Liming

– Fertilization

– Irrigation

– Planting and seeding

– Herbicides

– Soil preparation to prevent compaction

Mole derived Soil Maps

Precision Ag: nitrogen.

• Starch potatoes production:– Soils high variation in OM

– Available nitrogen varies

– VRA of liquid fertilizers leads to 3% yield increase

• Consumer potatoes:– Heterogeneous soils for clay

and OM

– VRA of liquid fertilizer leads to a 15% financial benefit.

Mole derived Soil MapsVariable planting distance • Seed potatoes:

– Clay map or water retention base for planting distance.– Size 28-55 best paid.– Average 4% income increase.– 240 – 500 euro/ha benefit.

• Wheat and sugar beet

Irrigation

• Consumer potato Egypt– Combining Mole water

related soil maps and local weather information and water soil probe.

– Applying right amount at the right time

– Yield increase 8%, soft rot % drops with 3% to 1-2%.

Mole derived Soil Maps

Miscellaneous:

• Land pricing estate agents

• Land degradation for nature (phosphates)

• Pollution of heavy metals.

243400 243600 243800 244000 244200 244400 244600 244800 245000 245200568000

568200

568400

568600

568800

569000

569200

569400

569600

569800

0 150 300 450 600

Naam :

Perceel:

Projectie:

Tusschenwater

Alle velden

Fosfor

Gemiddelde: 24.9

200710030

N

0

10

20

30

40

50

100

150

200

250

P (P2) in m m ol/kg

Conclusions• Although not very wide spread in use, Mole gamma ray

sensors can be a very powerful device for the quantitative mapping of top soil.

• Nuclide data are applicable for building models of more or less stable soil properties.

• Variation of nuclide values or modeled soil properties can be directly applied to get information on soils or indirectly for soil related practices, like precision ag.

Thank you for your attention.

The Soil Company, Leonard Springerlaan 9, 9727 KB Groningen, The Netherlands +31 50 5773240, [email protected] , www.soilcompany.com

iSOIL- “Interactions between soil related sciences – Linking geophysics, soil science and digital soil mapping” is a Collaborative Project (Grant Agreement number 211386)  co-funded by the Research DG of the European Commission within the RTD activities of the FP7 Thematic Priority Environment.

This publication reflects the author’s views. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.