Application of Factorial Kriging Analysis to the FOREGS European Topsoil Geochemistry Database

Application of factorial kriging analysis to the FORum of European Geological Surveys (FOREGS) European topsoil geochemistry database is described. At scale shorter than the sampling density the primary factors are related to local variation in parent material geology, land use, soil weathering and organic matter content. Over a range of 1750 km, the effects of mineralization and possibly pollution are suggested in conjunction with soil texture, with climatic and topographic effects in terms of soil maturity and marine deposition also identified. Parent material geology is found to explain over 31% of the overall variance, with 19% attributed to mineralization, urbanization, land use and soil texture, 17% explained by soil maturity, erosion and climatic influences, and 4% related to organic matter content. The results demonstrate the value of the use of factorial kriging analysis on a regional scale.