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Suggested template and outline. Please note that this
is a suggested outline and each individual "Thon" can be conducted
differently.
Objective:
Obtain one augered profile for every defined Land Cover Qualitative
MUCed site, conduct soil field characterization and take samples from
each horizon for lab analysis at a later date.
Timeline:
Identify schools who have done either Land Cover and/or Soil Characterization.
Contact schools to get a total of 30-35 students and 12-15 adults
to participate in the "Thon," contact local scientists to
help with training and perhaps to lend equipment for use.
Before the "Thon" choose sites out of 15k x 15k study site.
See GLOBE
Land Cover Qualitative Protocol for information
Note: if some pixels are on private land, obtain permission [for
all pixel sites you've identified as MUC-able] and ensure safety
for digging with local utility company. Also, offer owners of land
soil and land cover data.
Try to choose sites where they won't have to walk in order to pixel
(ie sites that appear to be homogenous Land Cover to an area of 90x90
meters. Use maps to figure out who owns the land, where to locate
directions, etc. Note: Obtain and distribute directions for each group
from one site to the next.
Goal: 20 sites in one day
- Five groups (of 5-6 students and 2-3 adults) go to 4 sites in
one day
***See below for content of training session and "Thon"
***
After "Thon" meet do discuss what happened and divide schools
entering data. Each teacher gets at least two-four MUCs Soil data
sheets and samples to enter onto the GLOBE data server.
Preparation:
Train all groups of students in MUC/Land Cover and Soil
Augering and Horizon
Description protocols. (Five hours of training 2.5 soil/2.5 Land
Cover/GPS
Land Cover Qualitative training
- Review MUC
- Look at images/pictures
- Learn pixel walking/practice
- Review photo taking
- GPS review
Soil Field Characterization training
On day of "Thon"
At each site, spend 1.5 hours.
- Half of group conducts Land Cover Qualitative (Photo, GPs etc.)
- Half of group augers
- Whole group does field characteristics
- Take samples and label them
- Go to next site.
While half the group is taking NESW photos and doing GPs for Land
Cover, the other half of the group is augering a profile within the
pixel being studied and getting the slop of the site.
Equipment for each group:
- Soil Color Book
- 2 meter sticks
- sample bags (at least 100)
- permanent markers
- plastic tarp (or large plastic garbage bags)
- spray mist bottle full of water (2)
- GPS unit
- protocol pages for field or Soil Characterization Field Guide
and for GPs and Land Cover
- Golf tees (50)
- Clinometer
- Camera
- Filled gallon jugs of water (3 per group)
- buckets/bags to carry samples
- paper towels
- auger
- Auger profile to 1 meter, if possible. Follow auger
protocol for measuring depth.
- Photograph
auger profile with meter stick starting with 0 cm at the surface
- Photograph landscape. Write down photo # and profile # on the
horizon description sheet
- Determine horizon depths
- Note moisture status
- Per horizon, conduct: structure, color, consistence, texture,
roots, rocks, carbonates and write data on Horizon description sheet
with name of site, Lat/Lon/Elevation and author pertinent material
- Take 3 samples of roughly 200g each for three separate plastic
bags of each horizon (ie 3 lab samples per horizon)
- Label each bag with: sample number Lat/Lon/Elevation, horizon
# site name, school name
- Put profile back into the auger hole in the reverse order of the
way it was removed.
- Divide soil datasheets and sample bags appropriately for continued
study and data entry
- Enter soil and MUC data onto the GLOBE server online.
After your Thon, please send an e-mail to Dr. Elissa
Levine at NASA at the following email address elissa.r.levine@nasa.gov
to let her know how your Thon went. And if you take photographs of your
auguered soil profiles, we'd love to have them be included in our Soil
Science Education Home Page as a Soil
of the Month.
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