For the convenience of the user, a number of 1km x 1km raster data sets (in GeoTIFF) format have been derived from the European Soil Database (ESDB) v2.0, in particular the shapefile that is offered on the data pages for the ESDB. This shapefile, and thus also the derived rasters, are an interpretation of the data contained in the full ESDB.
Access to the data:
In order to obtain access to the GeoTIFF raster data, you will need to fill in the request form; after which you will receive further instructions on how to access the data.
The ESDB v2 - 1kmx1km Raster Library (Documentation)
This library contains GeoTIFF data files for most attributes of the SGDBE and PTRDB databases, which are components of the ESDB v2.0; cell sizes are 1km x 1km
There are 71 GeoTIFFs.
Each GeoTIFF is found in a directory with name of the parameter that contains:
- The GeoTIFF file itself <parameter>.tif; this file contains numbers.
- A <parameter>.vat.dbf file that associates the GeoTIFF file numbers to <parameter> values.
- A text .txt file that explains the <parameter> values. (Legend file)
Additionally:
The “no information” category in the vat.dbf files stems from the attribute table of the original shapefile, where there is no value indicated (NULL, empty), while the “#” category is explicitly explained in the .txt legend files as “no data” or “not applicable” or “no information” and was deliberately assigned by the ESDB database developers.
If a GeoTIFF file (and thus also the corresponding .vat.dbf file) contains a value that is not explained in the corresponding .txt legend files, this should be considered as "Non-defined".
Coordinate System and GeoTIFF cells
Note that the raster cells are aligned with the reference grid recommended during the 1st Workshop on European Reference Grids in the context of the INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) initiative. (Workshop proceedings).
The grids are in the ETRS89 Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (ETRS_LAEA) co-ordinate system, also documented in the workshop proceedings.
The grid origin is defined 4.321.000,0 m west of the projection centre point (52N, 10 E), and 3.210.000,0 m south of projection centre point (52N 10 E). The grid extent is such that it covers all EU25 countries. Width : 7.500.000,0 m ; Height : 5.500.00,0 m ; 7500 columns, 5500 rows.
For a quick glimpse of the available parameters:
Name of raster | Original attribute name in ESDB-SGDBE | Detailed description |
AGLIM1 | AGLIM1 | Code of the most important limitation to agricultural use of the STU. |
AGLIM2 | AGLIM2 | Code of a secondary limitation to agricultural use of the STU. |
FAO85FU | FAO85-FULL | Full soil code of the STU from the 1974 (modified CEC 1985) FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend |
FAO85LV1 | FAO85-LEV1 | Soil major group code of the STU from the 1974 (modified CEC 1985) FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
FAO85LV2 | FAO85-LEV2 | Second level soil code of the STU from the 1974 (modified CEC 1985) FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
FAO85LV3 | FAO85-LEV3 | Third level soil code of the STU from the 1974 (modified CEC 1985) FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
FAO90FU | FAO90-FULL | Full soil code of the STU from the 1990 FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
FAO90LV1 | FAO90-LEV1 | Soil major group code of the STU from the 1990 FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
FAO90LV2 | FAO90-LEV2 | Second level soil code of the STU from the 1990 FAO-UNESCO Soil Legend. |
IL | IL | Code for the presence of an impermeable layer within the soil profile of the STU. |
PARMADO | PAR-MAT-DOM | Code for dominant parent material of the STU. |
PARMADO1 | PAR-MAT-DOM1 | Major group code for the dominant parent material of the STU. |
PARMADO2 | PAR-MAT-DOM2 | Second level code for the dominant parent material of the STU. |
PARMADO3 | PAR-MAT-DOM3 | Third level code for the dominant parent material of the STU. |
PARMASE | PAR-MAT-SEC | Code for secondary parent material of the STU. |
PARMASE1 | PAR-MAT-SEC1 | Major group code for the secondary parent material of the STU. |
PARMASE2 | PAR-MAT-SEC2 | Second level code for the secondary parent material of the STU. |
PARMASE3 | PAR-MAT-SEC3 | Third level code for the secondary parent material of the STU. |
ROO | ROO | Depth class of an obstacle to roots within the STU. |
SLOPEDO | SLOPE-DOM | Dominant slope class of the STU. |
SLOPESE | SLOPE-SEC | Secondary slope class of the STU. |
TXDEPCHG | TEXT-DEP-CHG | Depth class to a textural change of the dominant and/or secondary surface texture of the STU. |
TXSRFDO | TEXT-SRF-DOM | Dominant surface textural class of the STU. |
TXSRFSE | TEXT-SRF-SEC | Secondary surface textural class of the STU. |
TXSUBDO | TEXT-SUB-DOM | Dominant sub-surface textural class of the STU. |
TXSUBSE | TEXT-SUB-SEC | Secondary sub-surface textural class of the STU. |
USEDO | USE-DOM | Code for dominant land use of the STU. |
USESE | USE-SEC | Code for secondary land use of the STU. |
WM1 | WM1 | Code for normal presence and purpose of an existing water management system in agricultural land on more than 50% of the STU. |
WM2 | WM2 | Code for the type of an existing water management system. |
WR | WR | Dominant annual average soil water regime class of the soil profile of the STU. |
WRBADJ1 | WRB-ADJ1 | First soil adjective code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources. |
WRBADJ2 | WRB-ADJ2 | Second soil adjective code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources. |
WRBFU | WRB-FULL | Full soil code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources. |
WRBLV1 | WRB-LEV1 | Soil reference group code of the STU from the World Reference Base (WRB) for Soil Resources. |
Name of raster | Original attribute name in ESDB-PTRDB | Detailed description |
AGLI1NNI | AGLIM1NNI | Dominant limitation to agricultural use (without no information). |
AGLI2NNI | AGLIM2NNI | Secondary limitation to agricultural use (without no information). |
ALT | ALT | Elevation |
ATC | ATC | Accumulated temperature class. |
AWC_SUB | AWC_SUB | Subsoil available water capacity. |
AWC_TOP | AWC_TOP | Topsoil available water capacity. |
BS_SUB | BS_SUB | Base saturation of the subsoil. |
BS_TOP | BS_TOP | Base saturation of the topsoil. |
CEC_SUB | CEC_SUB | Subsoil cation exchange capacity. |
CEC_TOP | CEC_TOP | Topsoil cation exchange capacity. |
CRUSTING | CRUSTING | Soil crusting class. |
DGH | DGH | Depth to a gleyed horizon. |
DIFF | DIFF | Soil profile differentiation. |
DIMP | DIMP | Depth to an impermeable layer. |
DR | DR | Depth to rock. |
EAWC_SUB | EAWC_SUB | Subsoil easily available water capacity. |
EAWC_TOP | EAWC_TOP | Topsoil easily available water capacity. |
ERODI | ERODIBILITY | Soil erodibility class. |
HG | HG | Hydrogeological class. |
MIN | MIN | Profile mineralogy. |
MIN_SUB | MIN_SUB | Subsoil mineralogy. |
MIN_TOP | MIN_TOP | Topsoil mineralogy. |
OC_TOP | OC_TOP | Topsoil organic carbon content. |
PD_SUB | PD_SUB | Subsoil packing density. |
PD_TOP | PD_TOP | Topsoil packing density. |
PEAT | PEAT | Peat. |
PHYSCHIM | PHYS-CHIM | Physi-chemical factor of soil crusting & erodibility. |
PMH | PMH | Parent material hydrogeological type. |
STR_SUB | STR_SUB | Subsoil structure. |
STR_TOP | STR_TOP | Topsoil structure. |
TD | TD | Rule infered subsoil texture. |
TEXT | TEXT | Dominant surface textural class (completed from dominant STU). |
TXCRUST | TEXT-CRUST | Textural factor of soil crusting. |
TXEROD | TEXT-EROD | Textural factor of soil erodibility. |
USE | USE | Regrouped land use class |
VS | VS | Volume of stones. |
