Abstract
Earth’s land surface is raised from conventionally flat 15 Gha to >64 Gha accounting for hilly slope undulation and topsoil relief detail. Three main aspects are: topography, rugosity/tortuosity, and micro-relief/porosity of ice/vegetation-free ground. Recalibration arises from four approaches: First, direct empirical estimates of compiled satellite/LiDAR data means of +2.5–26% surface progressively overlain by +94% at cm2 scale for soil ruggedness then +108% for mm2 micro-relief; Second, from digital elevation models with thrice 1.6–2.0 times flat areas; Third, by ‘reverse engineering’ global soil bulk densities and carbon reserves requiring ×4–6 land. Finally, a Fermi estimation doubles the Earth’s surface—as exposed to Sun, air and rain—conveniently set at 100 Gha (with 64 Gha land:36 Gha ocean). Soil organic carbon (SOC) thereby grows to 8580 Gt mainly in SOM-humus with its biotic complexity plus roots, Vesicular-Arbuscular Mycorrhiza (VAM-fungi), leaf-litter and earthworms itself totaling 17,810 Gt. Although four to six times IPCC’s or NASA/NOAA’s calculated 1500–2300 Gt SOC, this is likely an underestimation. Global biomass and biodiversity are at least doubled (×2–3.5) and net primary productivity (NPP) increases to >270 Gt C yr−1 due to terrain. Rationale for a ‘Soil Ecology Institute’ gains ground.
Highlights
This paper attempts to answer the simple question: “What’s the Earth’s true surface area?”.Surprisingly, this has no exact answer yet is key for determining the extent of the living world and it is crucial for understanding our planet’s essential life-support systems, especially the neglected soil
The present study provides some initial direction to help redress this unfathomable imbalance projects extending far into the uncertain future
Macro is for 1-m calculation of terrain, biomes, and coarse properties relating to topsoils, components like carbon or earthworms and primary productivity
Summary
This paper attempts to answer the simple question: “What’s the Earth’s true surface area?”. The following table summarizes the current false status planar versus hilly parts of just this proportion are inter-comparable. The land seems relatively unimportant when compared to oceans ofand the current disparity for soil ecology is such that the World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity [12] originally from the majority science Nobel The UN’s 17 since there is yet no prize for Applied Ecology) notes that: “the loss of soil productivity was listed as a Sustainable Development Goals Concern in the 1992 scientists’ warning, but this variable was not analyzed here due to a lack of global data on sustainable-development-goals/) overlook soil or earthworms as major considerations, citing “soil”.
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