Global maps of soil temperature

In early 2022, the first global database for soil and near-surface temperatures was presented in an article, published by the renowned scientific journal ‘Global Change Biology’. The Umweltbundesamt, the Environment Agency Austria, contributed with long-term data and analyses from Austria to the development of the database. In the future, the database for soil and near-surface temperatures will help to better analyse and simulate the microclimate near the ground. It comprises more than 9,000 measurement series from 60 countries, which can be presented as maps and used as open data applications by researchers from all over the world. The Environment Agency Austria has prepared, analysed, and made available long and consistent air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture time series from the ecological long-term research site Zöbelboden in the Kalkalpen National Park.

At a click: high-resolution soil temperature maps

The database for soil and near-surface temperatures was firstly used to create global maps of 11 soil climate parameters. For the maps, measurement data from 12,000 soil sensors were linked with existing maps of air temperature and other environmental parameters (e.g. regional climate, physical and chemical soil parameters, land use, vegetation, radiation, topography). The new maps are available in different temporal resolutions (year, month) and a spatial resolution of 1 km².

Soil temperature is a crucial factor in the carbon cycle. Higher soil temperatures stimulate the microorganisms in the soil to increase their activity. With sufficient soil moisture, the dead organic matter, such as fir needles and leaves, is broken down faster, the stored organic carbon is converted into CO2 and released into the atmosphere. In colder climate zones such as the Alps, the dead plant material is not completely degraded due to the low temperatures. It accumulates over time. If temperatures rise due to climate change, organic matter will be degraded more rapidly. This leads to CO2 getting released into the atmosphere. The new maps will help to map these processes more precisely in climate models and empirical studies in the future, thus creating better foundations for climate policy.

Links:

SoilTemp – Towards a global database of microclimate

Article in Global Change Biology