Laboratory Test: Albedo Analysis (Bayreuth)
Contact: Sebastian Meyer
Albedo-measurement (photo: Daniel Fischer)
Soil sampling on the experimental field trial Bayreuth (photo: Daniel Fischer)
Aim:
Assessing the impact of biochar applications on the albedo of the background soil
Test site:
Micro meteorological laboratory of the University Bayreuth
Analyzed samples:
- Moist soil with and without biochar application (31.5 Mg/ha), with and without compost application (70 Mg/ha) from the
Field trial in Bayreuth - Dry soil samples with and without biochar application (maximum
94 Mg/ha), with and without compost application (up to 200 Mg/ha)
from a pot experiment
Methods:
- Measurement of the water capacity of the soil samples
- Application of soil samples on plastic plates (60 cm x 2 cm x 40 cm)
- Irradiation of plastic plates with a 500 watt halogen metal halide lamp
- Albedo-measurement with a double pyranometer (Kipp & Zonen, CM3), at 50 cm distance from the soil samples
Results:
- Albedo reduction around at maximum 0.009 in the samples of the field trial
- Albedo reduction around at maximum 0.014 in the samples of the pot experiment