Skip to main content
James Thompson, PhD
Professor of Soil Science
Davis College
WVU Home

National Collegiate Soils Contest 2008—Kingston, Rhode Island

  • Amber determines the Munsell color for one of her samples at a practice site.

  • Amber, Rachelle, and Katey discuss their observations during practice.

  • Sandy loam or loamy sandy? Amber applies the "Roecker test."

  • Another beautiful beach.

  • Beautiful beach.

  • Katey, Amber, Randy, and Rachelle participated in the individual contest. They led the Team to a fifth place finish. Randy placed third in the individual competition.

  • Kari looks for horizon boundaries at a practice site.

  • Katey contemplates the structure of a sample during practice.

  • After the group judging, Rachelle, Kari, and Randy took time to enjoy a local playground.

  • Rachelle and Randy discuss their observations during the group judging.

  • Randy examines the soil profile at a practice site.

  • Randy works to complete his scorecard during practice.

  • Sarah calculates available water during practice.

  • Sarah measures slope gradient at one of the contest sites.

  • Sarah looks on while Kari collects a sample at a practice site.

  • Sarah evaluates the sand content of a sample at one of the practice sites.

  • Soil with spodic materials.

  • The 2008 WVU Soils Team: (L to R) Amber, Rachelle, Sarah, Randy, Kari, and Katey.