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Post by kate on Mar 31, 2023 17:30:46 GMT
We all know that if we dig deep enough we'll find evidence of previous occupation on the land.
Where did the extra? soil come from? Or was it just shifted from one place to another?
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Post by dorsetmike on Mar 31, 2023 18:41:29 GMT
Many things will rot down and become compost which mixes with the existing soil, in effect more or less becoming soil
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Post by willien on Mar 31, 2023 19:05:48 GMT
We all know that if we dig deep enough we'll find evidence of previous occupation on the land. Where did the extra? soil come from? Or was it just shifted from one place to another? Successive invaders who did not prevail. |
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Post by peterob on Mar 31, 2023 19:19:02 GMT
We all know that if we dig deep enough we'll find evidence of previous occupation on the land. Where did the extra? soil come from? Or was it just shifted from one place to another? The repeated growth and die back of vegetation will raise soil levels. Leave a paving stone on the lawn and it will disappear in a few years. There is also wet and dry deposition of dust (not a lot but over hundreds of years it mounts up). Dust can come a long way - Saharan dust is quite common. Flooding can shift a lot of silt. Human activity can add material ... |
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Post by kate on Mar 31, 2023 19:27:46 GMT
I hear what you all say, but surely it's a closed system? Plants take from the soil, animals eat it, yes, we rot eventually but still in places, the soil level has obviously risen a great deal. I suppose now, buildings shove some aside, and some are built upon ones that were there before, but have we actually got more soil?
I keep thinking about water, where it is a non-renewing resource. I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I was reminded of the dinosaurs! I stood corrected.
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Post by peterob on Mar 31, 2023 19:50:43 GMT
I hear what you all say, but surely it's a closed system? Plants take from the soil, animals eat it, yes, we rot eventually but still in places, the soil level has obviously risen a great deal. I suppose now, buildings shove some aside, and some are built upon ones that were there before, but have we actually got more soil? I keep thinking about water, where it is a non-renewing resource. I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I was reminded of the dinosaurs! I stood corrected. It approximates a closed system on a global basis but individual locations can equally be subject to erosion as deposition. |
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Post by willien on Mar 31, 2023 19:55:56 GMT
I hear what you all say, but surely it's a closed system? Plants take from the soil, animals eat it, yes, we rot eventually but still in places, the soil level has obviously risen a great deal. I suppose now, buildings shove some aside, and some are built upon ones that were there before, but have we actually got more soil? I keep thinking about water, where it is a non-renewing resource. I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I was reminded of the dinosaurs! I stood corrected. I heard that at school before I went to London for the first time aged 17. A schools international get together thing where our chemistry teacher decided that Louie and I were a) 2 out of the three brightest in the school (SCIENCE WISE JOHNY) and b) the only 2 out of the three where the chances of comeback were statistically unlikely - Alec, the third of the unfeasably smartass triumverate from the same year of my tiny village primary school [5 in my year] could be a bit wild, I realised on that trip that what I had heard was probably true because while the water did not specifically taste of piss it definately tasted shite. |
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Post by kate on Mar 31, 2023 20:01:25 GMT
I hear what you all say, but surely it's a closed system? Plants take from the soil, animals eat it, yes, we rot eventually but still in places, the soil level has obviously risen a great deal. I suppose now, buildings shove some aside, and some are built upon ones that were there before, but have we actually got more soil? I keep thinking about water, where it is a non-renewing resource. I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I was reminded of the dinosaurs! I stood corrected. I heard that at school before I went to London for the first time aged 17. A schools international get together thing where our chemistry teacher decided that Louie and I were a) 2 out of the three brightest in the school (SCIENCE WISE JOHNY) and b) the only 2 out of the three where the chances of comeback were statistically unlikely - Alec, the third of the unfeasably smartass triumverate from the same year of my tiny village primary school [5 in my year] could be a bit wild, I realised on that trip that what I had heard was probably true because while the water did not specifically taste of piss it definately tasted shite. Oh so true. I lived on Evian bottled water as I couldn't stand the water coming out of the tap. |
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Post by willien on Mar 31, 2023 20:03:31 GMT
I heard that at school before I went to London for the first time aged 17. A schools international get together thing where our chemistry teacher decided that Louie and I were a) 2 out of the three brightest in the school (SCIENCE WISE JOHNY) and b) the only 2 out of the three where the chances of comeback were statistically unlikely - Alec, the third of the unfeasably smartass triumverate from the same year of my tiny village primary school [5 in my year] could be a bit wild, I realised on that trip that what I had heard was probably true because while the water did not specifically taste of piss it definately tasted shite. Oh so true. I lived on Evian bottled water as I couldn't stand the water coming out of the tap. As a 17 year old I found most of the beer was pisswater as well. |
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Post by kate on Apr 1, 2023 6:18:51 GMT
Oh so true. I lived on Evian bottled water as I couldn't stand the water coming out of the tap. As a 17 year old I found most of the beer was pisswater as well. We used to go up to Herts to find a pub doing real ale. In time, I liked Greene King bitter. Local pub to us had London Pride which was meh... |
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Post by terrywoodenpic on Apr 1, 2023 7:34:18 GMT
I hear what you all say, but surely it's a closed system? Plants take from the soil, animals eat it, yes, we rot eventually but still in places, the soil level has obviously risen a great deal. I suppose now, buildings shove some aside, and some are built upon ones that were there before, but have we actually got more soil? I keep thinking about water, where it is a non-renewing resource. I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I was reminded of the dinosaurs! I stood corrected. There is constant erosion and deposition going on all the time. Just not in the same places. Just as the mountains were raised by tectonic and volcanic action. Wind frost and rain wear them down again. Also there is a constant deposit of space dust as the earth's gravity hoover's it up.There was sufficient at one time to make up the entire solar system. This process continues at the rate of many millions of tons a year. If you could speed it up the whole surface of the earth would seem to be in turmoil. In addition there is a thin top organic layer over most of the earth that is constantly churning and redistributing dying matter from place to place and throughout the topmost layer through the life cycle of flora and fauna and the works of mankind. |
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Post by kate on Apr 1, 2023 7:44:56 GMT
So to summarise:
the earth moves around or gets shifted by humans or animals or storms etc.
Some might end up in the sea.
Some mountains crumble over time.
The whole crusts is pushed upwards.
Plants and humans die and become soil.
Mind you, that last one - we are almost all water - and as I heard on a recent radio programme, only 10% human cells and 90% bacteria.
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Post by peterba on Apr 1, 2023 13:18:57 GMT
I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I remember that idea (i.e. water in London having already been drunk by numerous people) being aired many years ago. It was a piece of headline-grabbing silliness. 
If one considers the water cycle, in conjunction with the span of history, there's a high probability that ANY water would - at some time - have been consumed and passed by another creature (not necessarily a human). Also, that would apply across the piece..... not only in London.
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Post by kate on Apr 1, 2023 14:41:50 GMT
I remember being pulled up for saying the water I drank in London had been drunk and passed by at least four or five other people. I remember that idea (i.e. water in London having already been drunk by numerous people) being aired many years ago. It was a piece of headline-grabbing silliness.
If one considers the water cycle, in conjunction with the span of history, there's a high probability that ANY water would - at some time - have been consumed and passed by another creature (not necessarily a human). Also, that would apply across the piece..... not only in London.
We did cover this earlier. Even I said that water is a non-renewing resource so I do know the cycle. |
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Post by peterba on Apr 1, 2023 18:20:47 GMT
We did cover this earlier. Even I said that water is a non-renewing resource so I do know the cycle.
Oops! I hope I didn't cause you to take umbrage, Kate.  I was simply referring to a news item (probably thirty or more years ago) in which someone - a journalist, I presume - appeared to be trying to accrue to some extra readership, by making eye-catching comments..... including the use of a slightly "Yuk!" component..... and, of course, making it all about London, for maximum impact. I certainly wasn't trying to impugn your reference to that notion. [end of grovelling apology.  ] |
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I was simply referring to a news item (probably thirty or more years ago) in which someone - a journalist, I presume - appeared to be trying to accrue to some extra readership, by making eye-catching comments..... including the use of a slightly "Yuk!" component..... and, of course, making it all about London, for maximum impact. I certainly wasn't trying to impugn your reference to that notion. [end of grovelling apology. 
]