Geo-environmental Conditions Research Articles

Prediction of soil erosion from waste dumps of opencast mines and evaluation of their impacts on the environment

The volume of mine waste rock generated, including tailings from mineral processing activities, is one of the main pollution concerns in the mining industry in general. In the State of Goa (India), the waste rock management is becoming increasingly difficult due to acute space shortage consequent to expanding mining activities. These waste rocks contain acid producing sulphides and high concentrations of heavy metals. In the Goa region, the agricultural fields, nallahs, river beds and creeks are prone to heavy siltation/sediment deposition, which results from soil erosion due to the heavy rainfall this region receives. In view of this erosion and consequent degradation of surrounding environment, this article seeks to estimate the amounts of soil erosion from mine waste rock dumps using the RUSLE model and evaluates the impacts of erosion on the local environment. Based on data interpretation and RUSLE analysis, the trends in soil loss were established under various geo-environmental conditions, such as different slope angles and lengths. This provides a sound basis to plan and implement sound environmental management practices for mine waste rock in the mines of Goa, India.

New dating method: Groundwater residence time estimated from the4He accumulation rate calibrated by using cosmogenic and subsurface-produced36Cl

Groundwater contains dissolved He, and its concentration increases with the residence time of the groundwater. Thus, if the 4He accumulation rate is constant, the dissolved 4He concentration in ground-water is equivalent to the residence time. Since accumulation mechanisms are not easily separated in the field, we estimate the total He accumulation rate during the half-life of 36Cl (3.01 × 105 years). We estimated the 4He accumulation rate, calibrated using both cosmogenic and subsurface-produced 36Cl, in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB), Australia, and the subsurface-produced 36Cl increase at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden. 4He accumulation rates range from (1.9±0.3) × 10−11 to (15±6) × 10−11 ccSTP·cm−3·y−1 in GAB and (1.8 ±0.7) × 10−8 ccSTP·cm−3·y−1 at Äspö. We confirmed a ground-water flow with a residence time of 0.7-1.06 Ma in GAB and stagnant groundwater with the long residence time of 4.5 Ma at Äspö. Therefore, the groundwater residence time can be deduced from the dissolved 4He concentration and the 4He accumulation rate calibrated by 36Cl, provided that 4He accumulation, groundwater flow, and other geo-environmental conditions have remained unchanged for the required amount of geological time.

Quantifying the ability of environmental parameters to predict soil texture fractions using regression-tree model with GIS and LIDAR data: The case study of Denmark

Soil texture is an important soil characteristic that drives crop production and field management, and is the basis for environmental monitoring (including soil quality and sustainability, hydrological and ecological processes, and climate change simulations). The combination of coarse sand, fine sand, silt, and clay in soil determines its textural classification. This study used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and regression-tree modeling to precisely quantify the relationships between the soil texture fractions and different environmental parameters on a national scale, and to detect the most important parameters that can be used as weighted input data in soil environmental prediction models. Seven primary terrain parameters (elevation, slope gradient, slope aspect, plan curvature, profile curvature, flow direction, flow accumulation) and one compound topographic index (CTI) were generated from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) acquired using airborne LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) systems. They were used along with digital data collected from other sources (existing maps and available pluviometric stations), i.e. parent materials, landscape types, geographic regions, yearly precipitation, seasonal precipitation to statistically explain soil texture fractions field/laboratory measurements (45,224 sampling sites) in the area of interest (Denmark). The developed strongest relationships were associated with clay and silt, variance being equal to 60%, followed by coarse sand (54.5%) and fine sand (52%) as the weakest relationship. This study also showed that parent materials (with a relative importance varying between 47% and 100%), geographic regions (31–100%) and landscape types (68–100%) considerably influenced all soil texture fractions, which is not the case for climate and DEM parameters. Yearly and seasonal precipitation had a significant impact on clay and silt; elevation had higher influence on coarse sand (13%), fine sand (12%) and clay (10%) where; slope gradient influenced silt (11.5%); slope aspect (14%) and CTI (9%) influenced fine sand; and profile/plan curvatures and flow direction/accumulation did not interfere in the building of the soil texture regression trees and associated relationships. The latter can be extrapolated to other areas sharing similar geo-environmental conditions.

Global geoenvironmental problems: Black Sea basin

The issue of the geoenvironmental state of Black Sea basin, the final basin receiving the runoff of many large rivers of the European continent (Danube, Dnieper, Don, etc.) and considerable runoff from the nearby watersheds, including Turkish, is considered. The extent and geoenvironmental consequences of the large-scale changes in the hydrology, water balance, and hydrochemistry of the sea basin under the effect hydrotechnical interception and industrial pollution of river runoff are discussed. The genetic role of Black Sea rifting in one of the world’s largest oil-and-gas-bearing basins with its inherent thermal and geochemical processes, geoenvironmental conditions, and risks is emphasized. Improved information is given about the genesis of hydrogen sulfide dissolved in seawater and related to the processes of geochemical sulfate reduction of silt water sulfates under the effect of hydrocarbon gases, which mostly form in zones of deep catagenesis of sedimentary formations and lower crust rock metamorphism. It is emphasized that the ecological stability of a sea basin showing such complex and contradictory relationships with natural and technogenic objects and processes can be ensured only by joint and well coordinated efforts of the countries of the Black Sea and nearby regions aimed on rational nature and water management, including when laying pipelines on Black Sea bed and developing the power resources of the Black Sea oil-and-gas-bearing basin.

Burrowing Criteria and Burrowing Mode Adjustment in Bivalves to Varying Geoenvironmental Conditions in Intertidal Flats and Beaches

The response of bivalves to their abiotic environment has been widely studied in relation to hydroenvironmental conditions, sediment types and sediment grain sizes. However, the possible role of varying geoenvironmental conditions in their habitats remains poorly understood. Here, we show that the hardness of the surficial intertidal sediments varies by a factor of 20–50 due to suction development and suction-induced void state changes in the essentially saturated states of intertidal flats and beaches. We investigated the response of two species of bivalves, Ruditapes philippinarum and Donax semigranosus, in the laboratory by simulating such prevailing geoenvironmental conditions in the field. The experimental results demonstrate that the bivalve responses depended strongly on the varying geoenvironmental conditions. Notably, both bivalves consistently shifted their burrowing modes, reducing the burrowing angle and burial depth, in response to increasing hardness, to compensate for the excessive energy required for burrowing, as explained by a proposed conceptual model. This burrowing mode adjustment was accompanied by two burrowing criteria below or above which the bivalves accomplished vertical burrowing or failed to burrow, respectively. The suitable and fatal conditions differed markedly with species and shell lengths. The acute sensitivities of the observed bivalve responses to geoenvironmental changes revealed two distinctive mechanisms accounting for the adult–juvenile spatial distributions of Ruditapes philippinarum and the behavioral adaptation to a rapidly changing geoenvironment of Donax semigranosus. The present results may provide a rational basis by which to understand the ensuing, and to predict future, bivalve responses to geoenvironmental changes in intertidal zones.

MÉTODOS DE SINTONIZACIÓN DE CONTROLADORES PID QUE OPERAN COMO REGULADORES

Se presentan varios de los métodos de sintonización de controladores PID para lazos de control que operan comoreguladores. Mediante pruebas de simulación digital se compara el desempeño de los diferentes métodos y se determinala bondad de los mismos con base en criterios de comportamiento y robustez. Finalmente, se ofrecen recomendacionessobre la utilización de los métodos probados.

Effects of monsoonal rainfall on waste dump stability and respective geo-environmental issues: a case study

The stability of mine waste dumps is of critical importance and an issue, the mining industry of Goa, India is continually facing. The State of Goa receives high rainfall of around 3,000 mm annually. This heavy monsoonal rainfall is often believed to be the cause of dump slope instability. In light of several dump collapses encountered in the State and their damaging effects on both mine operations and local geo-environmental conditions, this paper examines their stability considering various geotechnical factors and the downstream environmental effects of a slope failure. The mechanical properties of dump waste material are reported at different compaction levels. The effect of these properties and changes in pore-water pressure are specifically examined using limit equilibrium analysis. An empirical formula is developed relating dump height, material mechanical parameters and pore-water pressure to the factor of safety of the slope. It was found that the level of compaction experienced by the material had a significant effect on the factor of safety.

Taxonomic investigations of cyanobacterial and algal flora from the Southern Altai, East Kazakhstan

Taxonomic investigations of cyanobacterial and algal flora from the Southern Altai, East Kazakhstan The study presents results of pilot investigations (2005-2007) of micro-vegetation biodiversity in marginally explored mountain and forest-steppe areas of southern Altai, East Kazakhstan. On the basis of morphological phenotypes and ecological demands a total of 351 taxa of cyanobacteria and algae were identified in the principal biotopes (rivers and streams, backwaters, irrigation channels, lakes, high-tundra periglacial and barren land settings, snow fields, and pedogenic /soil cover/environments) of the territorial topographic gradient of ca. 400-3900 m a.s.l. Microbiological records display a remarkable taxonomic variability, including several previously undescribed endemic species of algae adapted to locally specific geoenvironmental conditions. The present results show a major potential for future systematic phycological studies integrated in the complex nature monitoring and management strategy in protected areas of the Altai. The results also demonstrate a limited impact of modern human activity on the quality of local water sources with only minor present ecological risks in balance with the traditional lifestyles of pastoralist communities.

Designing erosion management plans in Lebanon using remote sensing, GIS and decision-tree modeling

Soil erosion by water represents a serious threat to the natural and human environment in Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon, which represents a good case study. This research deals with how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and, more specifically, structural classification techniques and decision-tree modeling to map erosion risks and design priority management planning over a representative region of Lebanon. The structural classification organization and analysis of spatial structures (OASIS) of Landsat TM satellite imagery (30 m) was used to define landscapes that prevail in this area and their boundaries, depending on their spectral appearance. The landscape map produced was overlaid sequentially with thematic erosion factorial maps (i.e., slope gradient, drainage density, rainfall quantity, vegetal cover, soil infiltration, soil erodibility, rock infiltration and rock movement). The overlay was visual and conditional using three visual interpretation rules (dominance, unimodality and scarcity conservation), and landscape properties were produced. Rills and gullies were measured in the field, and a decision-tree regression model was developed on the landscapes to statistically explain gully occurrence. This model explained 88% of the variability in field gully measurements. The erosion risk map produced corresponds well to field observations (accuracy of 82%). The landscapes were prioritized according to anti-erosive remedial measures: preventive (Pre), protective (Pro), and restorative (Res). This approach seems useful in Lebanon, but can also serve in other countries with similar geo-environmental conditions or those lacking detailed geospatial data.

Soil erosion susceptibility assessment and validation using a geostatistical multivariate approach: a test in Southern Sicily

A certain number of studies have been carried out in recent years that aim at developing and applying a model capable of assessing water erosion of soil. Some of these have tried to quantitatively evaluate the volumes of soil loss, while others have focused their efforts on the recognition of the areas most prone to water erosion processes. This article presents the results of a research whose objective was that of evaluating water erosion susceptibility in a Sicilian watershed: the Naro river basin. A geomorphological study was carried out to recognize the water erosion landforms and define a set of parameters expressing both the intensity of hydraulic forces and the resistance of rocks/soils. The landforms were mapped and classified according to the dominant process in landsurfaces affected by diffuse or linear water erosion. A GIS layer was obtained by combining six determining factors (bedrock lithology, land use, soil texture, plan curvature, stream power index and slope-length factor) in unique conditions units. A geostatistical multivariate approach was applied by analysing the relationships between the spatial distributions of the erosion landforms and the unique condition units. Particularly, the density of eroded area for each combination of determining factors has been calculated: such function corresponds, in fact, to the conditional probability of erosion landforms to develop, under the same geoenvironmental conditions. In light of the obtained results, a general geomorphologic model for water erosion in the Naro river basin can be depicted: cultivated areas in clayey slopes, having fine-medium soil texture, are the most prone to be eroded; linear or diffuse water erosion processes dominate where the topography is favourable to a convergent or divergent runoff, respectively. For each of the two erosion process types, a susceptibility map was produced and submitted to a validation procedure based on a spatial random partition strategy. Both the success of the validation procedure of the susceptibility models and the geomorphological coherence of the relationships between factors and process that such models suggest, confirm the reliability of the method and the goodness of the predictions.

Threshold, optimum and critical geoenvironmental conditions for burrowing activity of sand bubbler crab, Scopimera globosa

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 354:191-199 (2008) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07236 Threshold, optimum and critical geoenvironmental conditions for burrowing activity of sand bubbler crab, Scopimera globosa Shinji Sassa*, Yoichi Watabe Soil Mechanics and Geo-Environment Division, Port and Airport Research Institute, 3-1-1 Nagase, Yokosuka 239-0826, Japan *Email: sassa@ipc.pari.go.jp ABSTRACT: The role of physical processes in sediments in the response of macroinfauna remains largely unknown, in contrast to the role of waves and swash conditions. This study was motivated by our recent finding on the physics involved in intertidal sediments and aims to explore the link between geophysics and ecology. Field observations were performed on an intertidal sand flat on the east coast of Tokyo Bay, Japan. The results indicate that the development of suction (s), i.e. negative pore water pressure relative to atmospheric air pressure, was closely linked to the behaviour of the sand bubbler crab Scopimera globosa (Crustacea: Ocypodidae) and was the trigger responsible for the onset of its burrowing activity. Three series of laboratory burrowing experiments were performed by simulating the relevant geophysical environment prevailing in the intertidal flat sediment. The results demonstrate that the burrowing performance of S. globosa depended strongly on the state of s in association with the groundwater level. Notably, under a given sediment porosity, burrows started to develop and reached peak depth when s was present initially, but declined rapidly with increased s. The effective cohesion and stiffness of the sediment produced by the s were responsible for the manifestation of the threshold, optimum, and critical conditions for the development of the burrows. The present results imply that the s and related geophysical environmental conditions may have an important contribution to the natural selection of habitats of macroinfauna in intertidal zones. KEY WORDS: Burrowing · Suction · Groundwater · Ocypodidae · Scopimera globosa · Laboratory experiments · Intertidal flat · Tokyo Bay Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Sassa S, Watabe Y (2008) Threshold, optimum and critical geoenvironmental conditions for burrowing activity of sand bubbler crab, Scopimera globosa. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 354:191-199. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07236 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 354. Online publication date: February 07, 2008 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2008 Inter-Research.

Utilização de Geotecnologias: Diagnóstico Ambiental do Estuário do Rio Acaraú, Ceará, Como Estudo de Caso

The Acaraú basin is located to the west of Fortaleza, capital from Ceará state and, it covers an area of 14.500Km² being considered the second largest basin in this state. The study area, which covers 80Km², is in the estuary of the Acaraú river, embracing the munipality of Acaraú and Cruz in the west. The research intended to analyze the geo-environmental conditions, to analyze the use process and occupation and the environmental impacts, as well as to characterize the resident population in the area and to conserve the natural resources in order to guarantee their use by the next generations. The used methodology included pertinent bibliography, pictures and satellite images with good resolution as the images of Quickbird. The geoprocessing activities involved images digital processing of remote sensing and the integration of data in structure of SIG (System of Geographical Information). The obtained results consisted in the integrated environmental analysis generating a proposal of environmental zoning.

Detecting major terrain parameters relating to mass movements' occurrence using GIS, remote sensing and statistical correlations, case study Lebanon

Among the various natural hazards, mass movements (MM) are probably the most damaging to the natural and human environment in Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon which represents a good case study. This research deals with how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for establishing the relationships between MM occurrence and different factor terrain parameters over a representative region of Lebanon. Parameters expressed by: 1—ancillary data like lithology, proximity to fault zone, soil type, land cover/use, distance to drainage line and rainfall quantity, and 2—derived data like slope gradient and slope aspect, were correlated with MM using GIS-approaches. The MM were first detected through visual interpretation of two stereo-pairs of SPOT 4 images (anaglyph) at 10 m resolution. This study indicates, depending on bivariate Remote Sensing and GIS statistical correlations (Kendall Tau-b correlation), that the lithology is the most influencing factor on MM occurrence. It also shows that statistical correlations to mass movements exist best between factors at the following decreasing order of importance: lithology–proximity to fault line, lithology–soil type and lithology–distance to drainage line at 1% level of significance, and soil–land cover/use, slope aspect-land cover/use, and soil–slope gradient at 5% level of significance. These correlations were verified and checked through field observations and explained using univariate statistical correlations. Therefore, they could be extrapolated to other Mediterranean countries having similar geoenvironmental conditions.

Geoenvironmental Factors Affecting Organic Vapor Advection and Diffusion Fluxes from the Unsaturated Zone to the Atmosphere under Natural Conditions

This study investigates the importance of various geoenvironmental conditions such as depth to water table, gas permeability, water-table fluctuations, moisture content, and temperature on the advection and diffusion fluxes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the unsaturated zone to the atmosphere under natural conditions. A one-dimensional gas-flow and organic-vapor transport model was used to simulate vapor fluxes under sinusoidal atmospheric pressure changes with an amplitude of 300 N m-2. The diffusion fluxes were generally greater than the advection fluxes by several orders of magnitude. The thickness of the vadose zone and gas permeability have a relatively significant effect on the advection fluxes at land surface compared to their effect on diffusion fluxes. Increasing the thickness of the vadose zone up to 30 m causes advection fluxes to increase. Increasing the gas permeability of the vadose zone up to 10-12 m2 also increases the advection flux. Further increases of vadose-zone thickness o...

Time probabilistic evaluation of seismically induced landslide hazard in Irpinia (Southern Italy)

A recently proposed method, which incorporates the Newmark model to evaluate the earthquake-induced landslide hazard at regional scale, was applied to Irpinia, one of the most seismically active regions of Italy. The method adopts a probabilistic approach to calculate values of critical acceleration a c representing the minimum strength required for a slope not to fail at a fixed probability level in a given time interval. Regional probabilistic hazard maps were generated for the two failure types most common in Irpinia (slump–earthflows and rock falls). The results suggest that quite moderate critical acceleration (0.05–0.08 g) could suffice to keep the slope failure probability low. However, the available data indicate that potential slide surfaces with a c below these values could be common in Irpinia, where, perhaps in relation to particular geo-environmental conditions, a relative large number of marginally stable slopes might survive other destabilising actions and fail even on occasion of not particularly strong earthquake shaking.

Focusing Landslide Investigation Efforts with Geographic Information System Screening Techniques

Conventional approaches to solve slope failure problems involve deterministic and probabilistic models to calculate the factor of safety for slopes. These models usually require a large amount of field and laboratory data on soil properties and slope geometry. This requirement makes the determination of conventional factors of safety highly unrealistic if required over large areas, unless some techniques are used to direct investigative efforts to those areas with higher potential for failure. An efficient screening methodology involves creating a hazard zonation map in which regions are classified according to varying instability potential. A database of slope failure details and the power of a geographic information system (GIS) were used to analyze digital data for various causative factors of slope instability to assess the reliability of current landslide prediction methods in northwest Arkansas. A hazard zonation model was created through statistical weighting techniques from remotely sensed imagery, publicly available spatial data, and slope failure data. All of this information was visualized and analyzed by using a GIS. The model's general applicability was tested on another area with similar geoenvironmental conditions with good results.

Geomorphological investigation on gully erosion in the Rift Valley and the northern highlands of Ethiopia

Gully erosion phenomena are very common in Ethiopia. They affect large areas with different morphological, pedological and climatic characteristics. The amount of soil loss due to gullying has become a very serious problem in the recent decades as it was associated to remarkable depletion of cultivated land. Field investigations on gully morphology and its genetic processes were carried out in two study areas of Ethiopia, representative of different geo-environmental conditions: the Lakes Region in the Rift portion north of Shashamene and the area surrounding the town of Mekele in Tigray. Two main types of gullies were identified on the basis of their morphological and hydraulic geometry characteristics: (1) discontinuous gullies which generally develop on low gradient slopes (1–5° on average) and the hydraulic radius of which increases from an upstream minimum to a maximum, at approximately their mid length, and decreases again to a relative minimum at their downstream end; and (2) stream gullies, formed by deep erosion processes typically migrating upslope. In order to investigate the main causes originating the different types of gullies, shear stress data were collected in the field from their hydraulic geometry. Hypotheses on the mechanisms responsible for both discontinuous and stream gullies development and for their different characteristics are discussed considering the pattern of shear stress variation in the downstream direction.

GIS-based Landslide Hazard Zonation in the Bhagirathi (Ganga) Valley, Himalayas

Landslides cause widespread damage in the Himalayas. Landslide Hazard Zonation is important to take quick and safe mitigation measures and make strategic planning for the future. A part of the Bhagirathi Valley in the Garhwal Himalaya was selected for landslide hazard zonation. The study utilized different types of data including Survey of India topographic maps, geological (lithological and structural) maps, IRS-1B and-1D multispectral and PAN satellite sensor data and field observations. The processing of multi-geodatasets was carried out in a raster GIS environment. The various data layers generated and co-registered were: landuse/landcover, buffer map of thrusts, buffer map of photo-lineaments, lithology, buffer map of drainage, slope angle and relative relief. Data integration was carried out using the ordinal scale (qualitative) relative weighting rating technique to give a Landslide Hazard Index (LHI) value. The breaks in the LHI frequency diagram were used to delineate various landslide hazard zones, namely, very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Field data on landslides were employed to evaluate and validate landslide hazard zonation map. It is interpreted that the distribution of landslides is largely governed by a combination of geoenvironmental conditions like proximity (>500 m) to the thrust zone, presence of Munsiari Formation (Higher Himalayan Crystalline) and barren or less-vegetated areas.

Growth characteristics and symbiotic efficiency of rhizobia isolated from cowpea nodules of the north-east region of Brazil

In Brazil, the geo-environmental conditions of the north-east region exert an effect on the rhizobia diversity. A large collection of rhizobia isolates were obtained from nodules of cowpea planted in different soils from this region of Brazil. Cowpea was selected as the scavenger for this study of rhizobia diversity because it is a known broad host-range leguminous plant and it is also widespread in the region. A total of 536 nodule isolates were obtained and later arranged in 78 different groups based on colony morphology and growth. Growth in culture media of isolate representatives of these groups revealed that 27 of them showed fast growth characteristics although the plant is characteristically nodulated by strains described as Bradyrhizobium spp. Furthermore, the analysis of the isolates from each region showed an increased proportion of fast-growing rhizobia when going from the coast to the semi-arid region. Fifty-five of the rhizobia representatives from the Brazilian north-east region induced Hup + phenotype in cowpea nodules indicating the predominance of this phenotype. They were also inoculated into soybean, since this legume plant is nodulated by the slow-growing rhizobia species B. japonicum and B. elkanii. Twenty-five of the group representatives were not capable of nodulating soybean. Inoculation with some of them promoted the formation of pseudo-nodule structures which despite not contributing significantly to the nitrogen content of the plant are an indication that signal exchange between plant and rhizobia is occurring. The remaining isolate representatives were capable of nodulating soybean. The nodulation of soybean by the isolates obtained in soils of the semi-arid region of Brazil is quite remarkable since this crop has never been cultivated in the region before. Data on host-regulated uptake hydrogenase phenotype (Hup-hr) is discussed.

Frequency-Domain Analysis of Electrical Dispersion of Soils

A theoretical frequency-domain general solution for the electric dispersion of soils is presented here. The theory rigorously takes into account the effects of particle shape, frequency, soil mineralogy, pore fluid type, porosity, solid-fluid interaction, anisotropy, and direction of measurement. The electric dispersion of soils is affected by the preceding basic soil parameters and the ratio of effective permittivities (βε=ε2/ε1) and conductivities (βσ=σ2/σ1) of the solid particles (subscript 2) and pore fluid (subscript 1). In general, the response can be categorized into three cases, βσ<βε< 1, βε<βσ< 1, and βε< 1 <βσ, each representing a distinct soil-fluid interaction phenomena. No dispersion is observed for βσ=βε. Effects of factors such as particle shape, orientation, etc. on dispersion are different in each case. Good comparisons are observed between the theory and experimental data. Results indicate that frequency-domain interpretation of the dispersion data be used to predict soil microstructure, soil and pore fluid type and interaction, porosity, particle characteristics, anisotropy, and geoenvironmental conditions at a site. These parameters can then be related to engineering soil behavior parameters in a fundamental way.