By Fran tenBensel Benne
How should soil and the field that studies it be defined? Experts disagree on what should be called soil, reflecting the tension between long-standing traditions and the field’s changing frontiers.
“Soil science has enormous, untapped potential,” Nebraska’s Aaron Lee M. Daigh said. “If we define our subject too narrowly, we artificially limit our science.”
“I propose to redefine soil,” Daigh said. “In a nutshell, the changes would tremendously expand what counts as soil — it starts much younger, goes much deeper and exists much farther out in the universe, literally, than scientists have previously thought or given credit for.”
Over the past decade, newly proposed definitions have offered valuable viewpoints. But they still draw on past traditions and often leave aspects of what qualifies as soil open to interpretation. Each viewpoint — historical, societal and fundamental — contributes to refining the definition of soil.
What if the frozen surface of a distant comet, icy moon or dwarf planet qualified as soil? And what if icy worlds like these turn out to be the most common type of soil in the universe?
Source : unl.edu