4 ms·
If you leave ground alone all sort of things grow on it or lay on it. Dirt, mud, leaves etc. Soil grows at about 1 mm per year. 1 meter in 1000 years. Historic
by pmontra 1y ago
If you leave ground alone all sort of things grow on it or lay on it. Dirt, mud, leaves etc. Soil grows at about 1 mm per year. 1 meter in 1000 years.
Historically cities were hit by floods and wars and new buildings were built on top of the foundations of old ones. We had an article about that church in Rome built over another roman church built over another roman church, etc. down to an old temple on a spring, or something like that.
- asdff 1y agoIt might even happen faster than that. If I don't sweep my cement patio for about a month, the decaying leaves from the bushes are enough to make about an 1/8th inch of fresh brown soil under the leaf piles.
- pmontra 1y agoExactly. This is hard to understand when living in a flat in a modern city but it's immediately clear in any other case. My figure of 1 mm is about the compacted result of decaying and layering. It may vary a lot according to the configuration of the ground.
- clan 1y agoSounds like Basilica of San Clemente[1][2]. One of the many many many "hidden" gems of Rome. Highly recommend visiting it! Or you can go on a virtual tour[3] [1] https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/ https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/ [2] https://maps.app.goo.gl/zpXpQuxQLUvE5TLA9 https://maps.app.goo.gl/zpXpQuxQLUvE5TLA9 [3] https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/a-virtual-tour/ https://www.basilicasanclemente.com/eng/a-virtual-tour/
- pmontra 1y agoThanks! And this is the article I remember https://www.exurbe.com/the-shape-of-rome/ https://www.exurbe.com/the-shape-of-rome/
- tom_alexander 1y agoAh I didn't realize it was that fast! I always pictured a few mm per 1k years.
- 2b3a51 1y agoWorms as well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Formation_of_Vegetable_Mould_Through_the_Action_of_Worms https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Formation_of_Vegetable_Mou...