LGA Institut für Umweltgeologie und Altlasten GmbH

Equipped with spade and Puerckhauer: Internal LGA workshop for soil recording according to KA5

Posted on 27 October 2023.

On 18th October and 25th October 2023, one group of the LGA team was trained in the preparation, implementation and documentation of the soil recording according to KA5.

The workshop was led by our former colleague Dr. Kunibert Eberlein, an expert in soil science who has been appointed by the former Bavarian Geological Survey (Bayerisches Geologisches Landesamt) as an expert on soil mapping. The Guggenmühle clay pit near Allersberg and a forest area near Buchenbühl were selected as training locations.

Soil recording is an important tool in soil investigation. Soils are described and classified in terms of various properties and parameters. In order to ensure the comparability and reproducibility of results, the 5th edition of the Soil Science Mapping Guide (KA5) is used as standard for soil mapping. The Soil Science Mapping Guide was first published in 1965 as “Die Bodenkarte 1 : 25 000. Anleitung und Richtlinien zu ihrer Herstellung”. The KA5 is not only used in science for soil mapping, but is also required in various legal standards (e.g. Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance, BBodSchV). For example, soil profiles have to be recorded and documented as part of of orienting contaminated site investigations, detailed investigations and remediation investigations.

During the one-day workshop in the field, drill cores were taken using a Puerckhauer and small pits were dug in order to visualize the local soil profile. The participants then carried out soil recording for each soil horizon (e.g. finger sample, determination of soil color and substrate identification) according to the KA5 guidelines and recorded the observations on a corresponding form. Kunibert Eberlein explained the individual steps and gave helpful practical tips. The results were discussed at length in the group. Thanks to the workshop, the LGA team was able to deepen its knowledge of the KA5 soil recording. We would like to thank Kunibert Eberlein for his valuable support.