Visualization of Soil Inner Space: Advanced Visualization Methods and Links to Soil Physical Functions - 24.11.2009

STAiR PhD Course January 26-28, 2010

Aarhus University, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Tjele Denmark

Course content

This course will introduce students to various aspects of soil physics related visualization and characterization practices. Students will use field- sampled intact soil cores and perform various types of characterization, such as dye tracer visualization, gas diffusivity and air permeability measurements, and X- ray computer tomography (X-ray CT) scanning. The course will cover both the theory and conceptual understanding of X-ray CT needed to reliably measure and quantify soil properties such as porosity and pore network structure, soil permeability, and fluid saturation level. Following successful scanning of the collected field samples at Aarhus University medical X-ray scanning facility, students will learn to use basic routines and software tools to extract quantitative information from the images. This will facilitate comparison between CT data and data generated with the other characterization techniques. The goal is to provide students with an opportunity to assess the usefulness of the various techniques and to get a sense of the type of complementary information that can be obtained with the various techniques. The course format will include both technical lectures and hands-on experiences with soil physics laboratory exercises, and CT scanning and visualization.

 

Key lectures

Professor Dorthe Wildenschild, Oregon State University, USA. Professor Per Moldrup Aalborg University, Leading physicist Søren Baarsgaard Hansen, PET Center Aarhus University Senior Scientists Bo Vangsø Iversen and Lis Wollesen de Jonge, Aarhus University.

Further information and online registration:
www.stair.agrproject.dk

Download course flyer