Using Soil Color Analysis for Forensic Application at a Crime Scene
We interviewed forensic soil scientist Kathleen Murray to talk about her study: Soil Transference Patterns on Bras: Image Processing and Laboratory Dragging Experiments. What is forensic soil analysis? Forensic soil analysis is used by forensic soil experts and police forensic … Continue reading
Teaching Archaeology to School Children in Peru
Visiting the School and Museum in Nivín, Peru The community of Nivín is located about 25 km from the city of Casma on the north coast of Peru. The agricultural community is surrounded by massive archaeological sites that date from 200 … Continue reading
The Soil Colors of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
As we close out the National Park Service Centennial and celebrate colors of our National Parks, we turn our attention to celebrating parks and trails by exploring soil art. A good place to learn about soil color is through art. … Continue reading
The Soil Colors of New Mexico National Parks
Our interview series celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service in the United States and the important role soil plays in these parks continues. We venture to Lincoln, NE to talk to National Soil Classification Specialist (Soil Taxonomy) for … Continue reading
The Soil Colors of Cape Cod National Seashore
Our interview series celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service in the United States and the important role soil plays in these parks continues. We head to Massachusetts to gaze at the expansive 40 miles of the Cape Cod seashore with … Continue reading
Colored Glass Beads of the Viking Age
Color is a tricky thing. It seems so self-evident, so objective, so out there. It’s something we see, something we smell, something we even seem to taste. And yet color as we know it is also a function of our … Continue reading
The Soil Colors of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument
Our interview series celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service in the United States and the important role soil plays in these parks continues. We travel back in time, 34 million years ago, to Florissant National Monument to learn … Continue reading
The Soil Colors of Rocky Mountain National Park
Our interview series celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service in the United States and the important role soil plays in these parks continues. We head over to the highest peaks in central North America to speak with retired soil scientist, … Continue reading
Seeing is Believing: Teaching the Art of Soil Classification with Munsell Color
On a sunny afternoon in early April at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, a group of twelve students crowd around a three-foot-deep hole in the ground and peer down quizzically as I scrape the fresh face of the soil … Continue reading
Making a 3-Dimensional Color Space Model for Art Students
The concept of “color space” as presented in the Munsell system makes a lot of sense, but it can be difficult to describe. Making the concept easier to grasp requires a visual representation – if students are going to “get … Continue reading
