EM31 soil salinity survey of the Coal River Valley, Tasmania

A soil salinity survey was conducted in the Coal River Valley in south eastern Tasmania. The survey was conducted in winter of 2001 using a EM31 conductivity meter mounted on a 4wd quad bike. The instrument measures electrical conductivity near the surface of the soil profile and responds to changes in salinity, soil texture, soil moisture and temperature. A total of approx 7000ha was surveyed. This point data was transformationed by way of 'linear kriging' - into an apparent EC grid (array) with 20m cell size. This method being the simplest and most effective interpolation method we tested. The dataset reveals 'likely' salt stores at depth (down to 5m) throughout the survey area. More detailed surveys (conducted down to ~2m) are also available for some selected much smaller areas within the study locale. The variation in apparent ec ranged from 0.01 to over 4dS/m.