Examining the soil chemistry of London's parklands

London Earth is a high-resolution, systematic geochemical baseline survey of soil across the Greater London Authority (GLA) area. More than 6000 topsoil samples were recently collected and analysed by XRFS for total concentrations of 53 elements, plus pH and loss-on-ignition. These samples cover a wide range of land uses and soil types. London has a large number of green spaces, including large parks, wetlands, heaths and common-lands, borough parks, country parks and private estates, plus a range of domestic and public gardens. The aim of the London Earth survey is to define the baseline geochemistry of topsoils (c.5–20 cm depth) — a snapshot of the chemical make-up of soils. Characteristics of the baseline geochemistry of some of London’s parklands are presented here.