Peat probability soil profile 5x5 m

This map indicates for the territory of Flanders, where peat is likely to be expected in the soil profile and where peat is unlikely to be expected in the soil profile. This map gives a good picture of the spatial variation of peat and is a first estimate for where peat is present in Flanders with a high probability based on the best available data and techniques. For the purpose of this map, the soil profile is defined as the part of the subsurface from 5 cm below the surface to 1.5 m deep. The grid map is the result of applying the method from the study 'Veen in Flemish soil and subsurface in relation to climate and above- and underground use of space' (performed by KUL on behalf of DOMG) with the data collected in this study to calculate a 5x5 m peat probability map for the soil profile. The final report of this study can be found at: https://researchportal.be/en/publication/feather-Flemish-soil-and-under…. This grid map has been drawn up to provide more information about the local spatial variation of peat than with the 50x50 m map from the KUL study. This makes this map more suitable to use at a local level to determine where best to use peat protection. However, caution is still needed for local applications and especially for applications that require a very high level of security. For this, field verification is still recommended as a first step. The map is divided into two classes (probably peat/probably no peat) to simplify visualization and interpretation of the products. The study makes use of historical data (which can go back to the 19th century) as well as recent data from observations of peat in the subsurface. Certainly for the historical data, it is possible that the peat observed at the time is no longer present, which imposes limitations on the accuracy of the final result. During the creation of this map, no correction was made for known excavations (port docks, canals, ...), infrastructure in the subsurface (tunnels, cellars, ...) and watercourses. This allows the model to make erroneous predictions for these locations. Furthermore, due to the techniques used, the ‘there is probably peat present’ here can be both a thick peat package over the full thickness of the soil profile and a thin layer of peat somewhere in the soil profile. This map, together with the peat probability map of the surface bog and the peat from 1.5 to 10 m deep, forms a set that is the result of the same recalculation exercise based on the results of the study carried out by KUL.