Marijn van der Meij

University of Cologne | UOC · Institute of Geography

We present a set of new geomorphometric variables that express landscape position relative to breaklines in hillslopes, and test whether these variables are of value in explaining soil property variation in three study sites in the United States, the Netherlands, and Spain. Underlying this work is the recognition that slope breaks, such as cliff li...

Soils and landscapes can show complex, nonlinear evolution, especially under changing climate or land use. Soil-landscape evolution models (SLEMs) are increasingly equipped to simulate the development of soils and landscapes over long timescales under these changing drivers, but provide large data output that can be difficult to interpret and commu...

Quantitative measurements of aeolian activity at high latitudes are not currently carried out on a large scale, even though these processes are important elements of the geomorphic system of polar regions, which are particularly affected by climate change. This study presents the results of aeolian deposition rates measured and calculated for one o...

Geomorphological maps provide information on the relief, genesis and shape of the earth’s surface and are widely used in sustainable spatial developments. The quality of geomorphological maps is however rarely assessed or reported, which limits their applicability. Moreover, older geomorphological maps often do not meet current quality requirements...

Purpose Spatial and temporal patterns of past erosional events are a useful and needed information to explain observed soil patterns in different landscapes. Soil thickness reflects the overall expression of pedogenesis and erosion. Forested soils of Northern Germany exhibit varying soil thicknesses with thin soils on crest positions and buried soi...

Soils and landscapes can show complex, non-linear evolution, especially under changing climate or land use. Soil-landscape evolution models (SLEMs) are increasingly equipped to simulate the development of soils and landscapes over long timescales under these changing drivers, but provide large data output that can be difficult to interpret and comm...

Soils provide numerous functions to support natural and human life. Soils and their functions develop over long timescales (decennia to millennia) under influence of environmental properties and drivers such as water flow, vegetation type and topography of the landscape. At the same time, these environmental properties develop too, often under infl...

Forested areas are assumed not to be influenced by erosion processes. However, forest soils of Northern Germany in a hummocky ground moraine landscape can sometimes exhibit a very shallow thickness on crest positions and buried soils on slope positions. The question consequently is: Are these on-going or ancient erosional and depositional processes...

Humans have substantially altered soil and landscape patterns and properties due to agricultural use, with severe impacts on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and food security. These impacts are difficult to quantify , because we lack data on long-term changes in soils in natural and agricultural settings and available simulation methods are not...

Abstract. Humans have substantially altered soil and landscape patterns and properties due to agricultural use, with severe impacts on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and food security. These impacts are difficult to quantify, because we lack data on long-term changes in soils in natural and agricultural settings and available simulation methods...

Humans triggered or accelerated erosion processes since prehistoric times through agricultural practices. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) is widely used to quantify phases and rates of the corresponding landscape change, by measuring the last moment of daylight exposure of sediments. However, natural and anthropogenic mixing processes, such...

The identification of buried soil horizons in agricultural landscapes helps to quantify sediment budgets and erosion‐related carbon dynamics. High‐resolution mapping of buried horizons using conventional soil surveys is destructive and time‐consuming. Geoelectrical sensors can offer a fast and non‐destructive alternative for determining horizon pos...

The ability of water to transport and transform soil materials is one of the main drivers of soil and landscape development. In turn, soil and landscape properties determine how water is distributed in soil landscapes. Understanding the complex dynamics of this co-evolution of soils, landscapes and the hydrological system is fundamental in adapting...

Erosion processes, aggravated by human activity, have a large impact on the spatial variation of soil and topographic properties. Knowledge of the topography prior to human-induced erosion (paleotopography) in naturally stable landscapes is valuable for identifying vulnerable landscape positions and is required as starting point for erosion modelli...

Soils in Arctic regions currently enjoy attention because of their sensitivity to climate change. It is therefore important to understand the natural processes and rates of development of these soils. Specifically, there is a need to quantify the rates and interactions between various landscape- and soil-forming processes. Soil chronosequences are...

The coasts of Spitsbergen are covered with raised marine beaches, developed under the isostatic rebound after the Last Glacial Maximum. This chronosequence of beaches provides a unique chance to study the speed of soil forming processes in cold and dry Arctic regions. Fieldwork was performed on gravelly marine beaches in the Ebba valley, central Sp...