Soil porosity prediction across Europe

The Geotiff (Output-Porosity-0_20cm.tif) indicates the soil porosity (FE) (cm3 cm−3) for the topsoil (0–20 cm) for Europe and UK based on the conversion of bulk density to porosity using the particle density determination approach.
Soil porosity (FE) (cm3 cm−3) for the topsoil (0–20 cm)
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Image icon Soil porosity (FE) (cm3 cm−3) for the topsoil (0–20 cm)
Year: 
2026
Themes: 
Soil Compaction
Keywords: 
Porosity

Title: Soil porosity prediction across Europe.
Description:  An analysis of topsoil porosity across Europe (0–20 cm) was conducted using data from the LUCAS monitoring program, focusing on the fine earth fraction of soils. The conversion from bulk density to porosity – more intuitive for hydrological studies - requires knowledge of the particle density of both mineral and organic components, which is often lacking. A novel method was developed to estimate the particle density of organic matter using stoichiometric datasets from various land use types, resulting in an EU LUCAS average soil particle density of 2.53 g cm−3. The generated fine earth porosity map aligns with high porosity areas in Northern Europe's peatlands and Central Europe's forests, providing insights into soil densification processes linked to compaction from traffic or organic matter depletion due to land use changes.  We make available the high resolution dataset of Soil porosity (FE) (cm3 cm−3) for the topsoil (0–20 cm) for Europe and UK based on the conversion of bulk density to porosity using the particle density determination approach introduced in this work (as in the publication below). This understanding is crucial for assessing compaction and erosion risk.

Spatial coverage: EU27+ UK
Pixel size: 500mx500m   - Unit: cm3 cm−3
Temporal coverage:  2009
Projection: ETRS 1989 LAEA (EPSG: 3035).

Reference: Robinson, D.A., Fendrich, A., Thomas, A., Reinsch, S., Leifeld, J., Moore, T., Seward, J., Borrelli, P., Ballabio, C., Panagos, P., 2026. Soil porosity prediction across Europe with a focus on soil particle density determination. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 100614. DOI: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2026.100614

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  • The data provided has been prepared for use by internal research activities of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bangor (UK), Agroscope (Switzerland), Department of Geography McGill University (Canada) and Roma Tre University (Italy). 
  • The data are the result of JRC research activities and are primarily made available for further research. The JRC does not accept any liability whatsoever for any error, missing data or omission in the data, or for any loss or damage arising from its use. The JRC agrees to provide the data free of charge but is not bound to justify the content and values contained in the databases.
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Reference of source (Citations) :

Robinson, D.A., Fendrich, A., Thomas, A., Reinsch, S., Leifeld, J., Moore, T., Seward, J., Borrelli, P., Ballabio, C., Panagos, P., 2026. Soil porosity prediction across Europe with a focus on soil particle density determination. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 100614.

When making reference to the ESDAC

  • Panagos, P., Van Liedekerke, M., Borrelli, P., Köninger, J., Ballabio, C., Orgiazzi, A., Lugato, E., Liakos, L., Hervas, J., Jones, A.  Montanarella, L. 2022. European Soil Data Centre 2.0: Soil data and knowledge in support of the EU policies. European Journal of Soil Science, 73(6), e13315. DOI: 10.1111/ejss.13315
  • Panagos P., Van Liedekerke M., Jones A., Montanarella L., “European Soil Data Centre: Response to European policy support and public data requirements”; (2012) Land Use Policy, 29 (2), pp. 329-338. doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2011.07.003
  • European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC), esdac.jrc.ec.europa.eu, European Commission, Joint Research Centre