Sounds of healthy soil – foundations of acoustic monitoring of soil bioturbation and soil health

Supervisory team: Dr Michal Kalkowski and Dr Siul Ruiz

Soil health underpins numerous processes critical to food security. Current methods for evaluating soil health are local, lab-based, and not scalable. This project develops acoustic techniques for monitoring biological activity in soil (e.g., earthworms) that can transform management practices. What does healthy soil sound like?

Soil is the unsung hero of our planet’s future. It serves as an irreplaceable foundation for food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity. Yet, its health faces growing threats from degradation and unsustainable practices. Soil is also an underexplored soundscape. Over 59% of all species live in soil, and sound could be a way to monitor them.

This project will explore acoustic signatures of biological activity in soil. The goal is to lay the foundations for a cost-effective, non-invasive, physics-based way to monitor these processes, paving the way for field applications.

You will exploit the physics of wave propagation in soils to develop minimally invasive monitoring techniques to assess bioturbation activity. Using physics-informed signal processing and transducer design, you will develop a platform for acoustics-based evaluation and characterisation of key soil health metrics and bioturbation activity. Exploring both single and array transducer configurations, you will study acoustic/vibrational signatures from a range of agents, including earthworms, plant roots, ants, and miner bees.

Supplemented by modelling of agent-like wave generation and propagation in multiphase (air, water, solid) media, they will identify individual characteristics of bioturbators that may be better suited to handle a broad array of environmental conditions (e.g., wet, clay, dry, sand) and most plausible sensing configurations.

Thanks to the bioturbation sounds research platform, the project will lay transformative foundations for field-applicable soil health monitoring using acoustics and offer novel time-lapse measurements that can refine the characterisation of ecological dynamics. You will join the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, a vibrant and diverse research community passionate about sound, ultrasound, vibration, and sensing across all industrial sectors. You will benefit from excellent research facilities and the multidisciplinary environment.

Entry requirements:

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent.

We are looking for candidates with backgrounds in engineering, applied mathematics, applied physics, or computer science. The project requires using Python and its scientific computing modules, so knowledge of these is beneficial. Willingness to combine experimental work with computation, including high-performance computing, is essential.

Fees and funding:

Full scholarships include tuition fees, a tax-free stipend at the UKRI rate for up to 3.5 years (totalling £20,780 for 2025/26, rising annually). UK, EU and Horizon Europe students are eligible for scholarships. Chinese Scholarship Council-funded students are eligible for fee waivers.

Funding for other international applicants is very limited and highly competitive. Overseas students who have secured or are seeking external funding are welcome to apply.

How to apply:

Apply now

Please apply via the online portal and select:

• programme type: research
• academic year: 2026/27
• if you will be full time or part time
• faculty: Engineering and Physical Sciences
• search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
• please add the name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application.

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts/ certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)