Technosols

A Technosol is internationally recognized soil classification WRB (World Reference Base for Soil Resources ) one occurring only in the Holocene type of soil, their properties and development ( pedogenesis ) are more or less completely dominated by a technical anthropogenic origin.

Formation and Properties

Technosols form on all types of materials, which man has significantly influenced by action, or to artificially ausgebrachtem material that would not otherwise occur at the surface of the earth. Due to the human factors, some typical features can be found:

• They often contain a significant amount of artifacts, so scattered residues in the soil, which are undoubtedly due to human activities such as pottery shards, charcoal or coins.
• They consist partly full of materials that do not occur naturally there. Distinction must be made of natural materials ( overburden, migrated floors ... ) and technical materials (concrete, glass, brick, plastic, ceramic ... ) were created by man.
• Frequently abrupt change of material are by batch up or removals. Thus, a natural sandy subsoil suddenly be overlaid by brick remains, on which, in turn, clayey topsoil was applied.
• Often they are sealed by technical measures.
• These soils are due to common components, such as debris or trash, a higher risk than other soils on to be contaminated. Many Technosols must be treated with caution because they contain toxic substances from industrial processes.

Dissemination

Technosols can be found throughout the world in or near settlements, roads, mines, landfills, oil spills or coal and slag heaps. These include soils from wastes (landfills, sewage farms, heaps ), pavements with their underlying unconsolidated materials, soils with geomembranes and artificially raised floors consisting of man-made materials. Typical is their close ties to previous or current human activities.

In sparsely populated areas, they occur only on a small scale. Their distribution should not be underestimated, however, especially in densely populated countries. Where a major part of the surface is formed by human. In 2010, about 14 % of Germany to the settlement area or traffic are assigned and are thus potential Technosols. Especially after heavy enemy action, there is a large part of the ground of debris.

Since they can be absolutely dominant in urban or industrial embossed areas, they are often referred to as urban soils. Very characteristic is the close association with natural soil types that are everywhere where no man-made materials are present.

Classification in other soil classifications

They are referred to in the "new Russian soil classification system " as " Techno genes Superficial Formations" ( technogenic Superficial Formations ).

Find out more

The German Soil Science Society has the Technosol and named " The City of soils" to the ground in 2010.