Kids using LandMapper to measure soil properties

Our first videos are accessible on YouTube now! Those introductory videos show how to use LandMapper for soil mapping and how simultaneously collect soil samples. It is so easy, even nine years old kids learned very quickly how to turn on the device and take measurements.

Story: Fourth graders from Bay Area Charter School in El Lago, TX were introduced to LandMapper - hand-held geophysical device - to assist them in undestanding soil properties and how they change during compaction. The project was undertaken in May 2012 to renovate high-traffic area near gym and playground of the elementary school. Kids learned how to make field observations and select areas with contrasting soil properties. They also learned that collecting soil samples by traditional methods is hard and "dirty" work. However, LandMapper can measure soil electrical resistivity (ER), a reciprocal of electrical conductivity (EC) - ER=1/EC - quickly and directly on the soil surface. Those electrical properties are related to many soil properties which reflect soil "health": compaction, stone content, salinity, fertility, texture, organic matter, and others. Using LandMapper to measure soil ER or EC prior to soil sampling can considerebly reduce time and effort in soil mapping and analysis. Best of all, LandMapper can be used anywhere - in farm fields, construction areas, flooded or frozen soils;  and by anyone - very little training is required!

Kids have measured electrical resistivity (ER) with two different probes (12" and 18" depth). See the video below on how to turn LandMapper on/off, select geometric coefficient for different probes, take measurement and record soil electrical resistivity on paper. After comparing their results and taking further measurement in the lab, they understood, that even though soil samples collected from compacted and non-compacted areas had the same texture (clay loam), the ER of compacted (and drier) areas were about 10 times higher than that of non-compacted areas, where healthy grass was growing.

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