Considering that my major is Environmental Geology, my future career will probably involve a lot of work with soils. Over the course of taking this class, I've learned several new skills and techniques related to studying soil. Some were learned in the field, some in the lab, and some in our virtual classroom.Â
From the lectures, I learned how to classify and categorize soils based on their physical characteristics. In the lab, I learned how to classify soils by hand, how to classify soils by content, and how to determine values like porosity and bulk density. I also learned the methods for calculating soil pH and determining soil salinity based on electrical conductivity. For the soil project, I learned how to use resources like the NRCS, Google Earth, and the Web Soil Survey to collect soil data online. On our field trip I learned a variety of techniques, including how to dig a soil pit, how to create a soil profile, how to take soil samples, and how to use the field manuals to classify soils. Some of these skills may prove more important than others, but all of them will probably be relevant to my future career.