What's regolith got to do with a loaf of bread, eucalyptus oil and a glass of Chardonnay?

Abstract

A glass of Chardonnay, eucalyptus oil and a loaf of bread all begin life with the plant interacting with its environment. For example, sensory characteristics of a glass of Chardonnay may be unique to the region from which the grape vine was grown in. A certain combination of climate, landscape, geology and regolith factors make up this ?terroir? characteristic in wines. This may also be the case for wine produced from different vineyards in a specific region and within a vineyard, as such combinations of factors change. Specific regolith features, such as soil texture and rooting depth can change in short distances, so that the yield or vigor of grape vines, wheat crops and eucalyptus species can subsequently be affected. This paper reports on the efficiency of geophysical methods, specifically radiometrics and ground penetrating radar, in identifying regolith characteristic which effect plant growth and their production endpoints.