Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia
M. J. Grundy A D , R. A. Viscarra Rossel B , R. D. Searle C , P. L. Wilson B , C. Chen B and L. J. Gregory B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A CSIRO Agriculture 306 Carmody Road, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia.
B CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 1666, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
C CSIRO Land and Water, GPO Box 2583, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: mike.grundy@csiro.au
Soil Research 53(8) 835-844 https://doi.org/10.1071/SR15191
Submitted: 7 July 2015 Accepted: 31 July 2015 Published: 12 October 2015
Abstract
The Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia (SLGA) is the first continental version of the GlobalSoilMap concept and the first nationally consistent, fine spatial resolution set of continuous soil attributes with Australia-wide coverage. The SLGA relies on digital soil mapping methods and integrates historical soil data, new measurement with spectroscopic sensors, novel spatial modelling and a web-service delivery architecture. The SLGA provides soil, regolith and landscape estimates at the centre point of 3 arcsecond grid cells (~90 × 90 m) across Australia. At each point, there are estimates of 11 soil attributes and confidence intervals for each estimate to a depth of 2 m or less, depth of regolith and a set of terrain descriptors. The information system also includes a library of mid-infrared spectra, an inference engine that allows estimation of additional soil parameters and an information model that enables users to access the system via web services. The explicit mapping of depth, bulk density and coarse fragments allows estimation of material stores and fluxes on a volumetric basis. The SLGA therefore has immediate applications in carbon, nitrogen and water process modelling. The map of regolith depth will find immediate application to studies of vadose zone processes, including solute transport, groundwater and nutrient fluxes beyond the root zone. Landscape attributes at 1 and 3 arcseconds are useful for a wide spectrum of ecological, hydrological and broader environmental applications. The SLGA can be accessed at no cost from www.csiro.au/soil-and-landscape-grid. It is managed and delivered as part of the Australian Soil Resource Information System (ASRIS).
Additional keywords: digital soil mapping, GlobalSoilMap, regolith, soil information systems, soil map disaggregation, spatial modelling.
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