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Model estimates of topsoil moisture [Countryside Survey]

Publisher
Environmental Information Data Centre
Updated
30 July 2026
Topic
Not set
Licence
Not set

Summary

Topsoil moisture data - gravimetric moisture content (%). Data is representative of 0 - 15 cm soil depth. Cores from 1098 plots within 256 1km by 1km squares were measured in 1998 and 2614 plots within 591 1km x 1km squares were analysed in 2007 across Great Britain. See Emmett et al. 2010 for further details of sampling and methods (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5201/1/CS_UK_2007_TR3%5B1%5D.pdf). Estimates of mean values within selected habitats and parent material characteristics across GB were made using Countryside Survey (CS) data from 1998 and 2007 using a mixed model approach. The estimated means of habitat/parent material combinations are modelled on dominant habitat and parent material characteristics derived from the Land Cover Map 2007 and Parent Material Model 2009, respectively. The parent material characteristics used were those which minimised AIC in the model (see Data documentation). Please see Scott, 2008 for further details of similar statistical analysis (http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5202/1/CS_UK_2007_TR4%5B1%5D.pdf). Areas, such as urban and littoral rock, are not sampled by CS and therefore have no associated data. Also, in some circumstances sample sizes for particular habitat / parent material combinations were insufficient to estimate mean values. Full details about this dataset can be found at https://doi.org/10.5285/8db84900-5fdb-43be-a607-e56c843d9b87

Data links

Link Format Preview Updated
Web map service (WMS) – 30/7/2026
Supporting documentation ZIP – 30/7/2026
Download the data – 30/7/2026

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Additional information

Source Metadata
XML, HTML
Date added
25 July 2026
Harvest GUID
8db84900-5fdb-43be-a607-e56c843d9b87
Extent (Latitude)
59.85° to 49.41°
Extent (Longitude)
-8.67° to 3.04°
Dataset reference date (publication)
2014-06-26
Frequency of update
notPlanned
Access constraints
© UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. Contains British Geological Survey materials © NERC 2014. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2007.
Responsible party
(author, pointOfContact, publisher, custodian)
ISO 19139 resource type
dataset
Metadata language
eng

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