Rain Drop Experiment

In a cooperation between the working groups „Invertebrate Paleontology and Palaeoclimatology (IPP)“, „Biogeology (BG)“ and „Soil Science and Geomorphology (SSG)“ we set up a new experiment to observe how rain drops interact with different natural surfaces, especially different moss species and soil substrates. The idea was developed by Sonja Thielen (IPP) and Martin Ebner (BG) and the experiment was conducted together with Steffen Seitz and Corinna Gall (SSG).

Out of a height of two meters we produced a rain drop with a pipette which falls down onto different moss species (Amblystegium serpens, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Eurhynchium striatum, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum) and soil substrates (on four different parent materials of the Naturpark Schönbuch). The samples were sprinkled in an air dried state and in a wet state while the droplet impingement was recorded by a high speed camera with 2.500 frames per second. In the next step, we will analyse the slow motion films in regard to drop behaviour on different natural surfaces.