school energy&environment
Soil
The soil is thin layer covering the Earth’s crust, in contact with the atmosphere: its nature and composition depend on an equilibrium between environmental factors of a chemical, physical and biological nature. It represents an important natural resource because it allows the growth of spontaneous vegetation and as a consequence an environment that is rich and varied, where many forms of life live, mainly micro-organisms and insects. Here, thanks to the presence of microflora and microfauna, the nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus cycles are completed. These are fundamental for all living beings. The soil is also a source of nourishment because it allows the growth of agricultural crops and animal farming, furthermore it provides wood that is used by a part of the world population as fuel.
subjects dealt with in Soil
Soil knowledge
The soil consists of a mixture of solid particles, water and air. Solid particles can be inorganic or organic. The…
Soil formation
Soil formation is the result of long processes (paedogenesis) that are generally based on the alteration (that is change) of…
Soil classification
Soil thickness depends on soil inclination. If the land is inclined rock debris do not accumulate on the spot since,…
Soil biology
Soil is the ‘place’ where materials essential for ecological equilibrium are formed and decompose, but it is also where our…
Environment and territory
The soil is a dynamic system that has reached a balance with the other surrounding elements. Man can compromise it…
special reports
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13 May 2013 / Earth
Small steps, great footprints
Which one takes up more space, an apple or a steak? Have you ever wondered how much space is taken…
7 January 2010 / Earth
Alps and Appennines
How a mountain chain is born The term orogeny was born from the Greek words oros (mountain) and genesis (origin);…
18 May 2009 / Earth
Sauropods
40 meters long and 17 high, huge but peaceful, the Branchiosaurus were a masterpiece in genetic Engineering. Survival machines in…
-
10 November 2011 / Earth
Landslides
Water and gravity in action Very punctually, with the arrival of the spring and autumn precipitations, the topic of landslides…
28 August 2020 / Earth
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
15 July 2020 / Earth
Earth viewed from above
Remote satellite sensing: what it is and what it is used for In the scientific field, the images produced by…
-
30 April 2019 / Earth
Urban woods
When walking along a tree-lined avenue in a crowded and traffic-congested city, wrapped up in our daily commitments, we do…
12 April 2019 / Earth
Easter with extinct friends
Easter Island is shaped like a triangle with three extinct volcanoes placed at the vertices, and has a total area…
26 September 2018 / Earth
Citizen science, research conducted by ordinary citizens
When we think of scientists, we often imagine people wearing white coats, shut up in a laboratory working with test…
-
13 May 2013 / Earth
Small steps, great footprints
Which one takes up more space, an apple or a steak? Have you ever wondered how much space is taken…
7 January 2010 / Earth
Alps and Appennines
How a mountain chain is born The term orogeny was born from the Greek words oros (mountain) and genesis (origin);…
-
18 May 2009 / Earth
Sauropods
40 meters long and 17 high, huge but peaceful, the Branchiosaurus were a masterpiece in genetic Engineering. Survival machines in…
10 November 2011 / Earth
Landslides
Water and gravity in action Very punctually, with the arrival of the spring and autumn precipitations, the topic of landslides…
-
28 August 2020 / Earth
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
15 July 2020 / Earth
Earth viewed from above
Remote satellite sensing: what it is and what it is used for In the scientific field, the images produced by…
-
30 April 2019 / Earth
Urban woods
When walking along a tree-lined avenue in a crowded and traffic-congested city, wrapped up in our daily commitments, we do…
12 April 2019 / Earth
Easter with extinct friends
Easter Island is shaped like a triangle with three extinct volcanoes placed at the vertices, and has a total area…
-
26 September 2018 / Earth
Citizen science, research conducted by ordinary citizens
When we think of scientists, we often imagine people wearing white coats, shut up in a laboratory working with test…
-
13 May 2013 / Earth
Small steps, great footprints
Which one takes up more space, an apple or a steak? Have you ever wondered how much space is taken…
-
7 January 2010 / Earth
Alps and Appennines
How a mountain chain is born The term orogeny was born from the Greek words oros (mountain) and genesis (origin);…
-
18 May 2009 / Earth
Sauropods
40 meters long and 17 high, huge but peaceful, the Branchiosaurus were a masterpiece in genetic Engineering. Survival machines in…
-
10 November 2011 / Earth
Landslides
Water and gravity in action Very punctually, with the arrival of the spring and autumn precipitations, the topic of landslides…
-
28 August 2020 / Earth
The Earth seen from above: signs of fires
This image was taken by the ASTER sensor installed on the NASA TERRA satellite platform. The image was taken on…
-
15 July 2020 / Earth
Earth viewed from above
Remote satellite sensing: what it is and what it is used for In the scientific field, the images produced by…
-
30 April 2019 / Earth
Urban woods
When walking along a tree-lined avenue in a crowded and traffic-congested city, wrapped up in our daily commitments, we do…
-
12 April 2019 / Earth
Easter with extinct friends
Easter Island is shaped like a triangle with three extinct volcanoes placed at the vertices, and has a total area…
-
26 September 2018 / Earth
Citizen science, research conducted by ordinary citizens
When we think of scientists, we often imagine people wearing white coats, shut up in a laboratory working with test…
from the Multimedia section
curiosities
-
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...
-
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
-
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...
-
Laterite and bauxite deposits
These deposits can be observed in those tropical areas that are characterized by...
-
And in underground tunnels?
There are groups of terrestrial animals that eat insects, worms and other invertebrates...
-
What about the permafrost?
In Sub Arctic Swedish regions, some scientists studied the changes of permafrost...
-
The most populated cities in the world
In the last 50 years the world population has passed from 2.5 billion to 6 billion...
-
Mountains on the Earth
The different landscapes that we analysed in the previous section are distributed...