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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Environmental Microbial & Food Safety Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #315034

Title: Soilscopes for soilscapes

Author
item Pachepsky, Yakov

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/17/2015
Publication Date: 7/5/2015
Citation: Pachepsky, Y.A. 2015. Soilscopes for soilscapes. Meeting Abstract. Montreal, CA on July 5-10, 2015.

Interpretive Summary: .

Technical Abstract: The objective of this presentation is to provoke discussion on status of scale concepts and techniques in soil systems analyses that operate with data collected at different scales and have to overcome the scale mismatch among components of knowledge acquisition, packaging and use for societal needs. Three major definitions of scale – via hierarchies, measurement metrics, and similitude are discussed, and differences in scaling under each of the definitions are reviewed. Advantages and limitations of traditional scaling methods such as dimensional analysis and inspectional analysis are acknowledged. The power law scaling is reviewed with regard to mechanisms and models leading to it. Support change techniques via aggregation and weighted interpolation including wavelet decomposition and data assimilation are summarized. The fast growing field of scale change in spatio-temporal information is represented with scaling using empirical orthogonal functions and cumulative distribution matching. Special cases of scaling based on processes and phenomena, such as fragmentation, temporal stability, and Buckingham flow, are briefly summarized. The importance of scaling variability metrics and parameters of flux models is underscored. The role of scaling increases in the era of ‘big data’. The arsenal of scaling methods is expected to grow as it performs the important function of obtaining data we need from data we have.