Soil Physics
In BGR’s soil physics laboratories, key soil properties related to water transport and the movement of substances within the soil are determined. In addition, soil column experiments are used to investigate transport processes in naturally layered (structured) soils. In addition to its own research on soil physics, the laboratory serves as a support unit, contributing measurements and expertise to core budget and third-party funded projects, including those in the fields of soil, groundwater and international geoscientific cooperation.
Research Focus
- Investigation of the influence of the unsaturated zone on groundwater recharge
- Experiments on the transformation and transport of nitrogen compounds in soil
- Artificial tracer experiments (e. g., using enriched nitrogen-15)
Soil Physics Laboratory
A fully equipped soil physics laboratory is available in Hanover:
- Hyprop measuring stations for determining unsaturated hydraulic conductivity
- Ksat and permeameters for determining saturated hydraulic conductivity
- pF plates and pressure pots for determining the water retention curve
- Contact angle microscope (DSA 30E, Krüss GmbH, Hamburg) for determining soil wettability based on the contact angle
- Kd2 pro and VARIOS for measuring thermal conductivity in soils
- Soil-LT (UGT, Müncheberg) for void determination and volume analysis
- SPINMas (InProcess Instruments, Bremen) for determining the 15N abundance of nitrate, nitrite, or ammonium nitrogen in aqueous soil extracts
