Soil Datasets > Maps > Soil Atlas of Europe > Atlas Printouts
Cultivated soil allows the production of crops that are essential for human existence (EM).
Back Cover
---
Soil can vary enormously. Soil characteristics can change across the landscape and also with depth. The soil under your feet will be quite different from that just 40 cm deeper. The above picture shows the vertical changes in a soil profile that has developed on the flood plain of a river valley. The dark band below the surface is rich in organic matter while the pale zone below is due to the accumulation of lime (calcium carbonate) by water percolating through the soil. Note the presence of gravels deposited by the river at the base of the profile (EM).
| Important legal notice © European Communities, 1995- Last updated: |
European Commission - Joint
Research Centre Institute for Environment and Sustainability Contacts: Marc Van Liedekerke(tel. +39-0332-785179) Panos Panagos (tel. +39-0332-785574) |
Data
Maps
Soil Atlas of Europe
Download the Atlas