Method

Underfoot Notes is a small website for anyone who has ever picked up a stone on a beach, wondered why a hill is shaped the way it is, or noticed that the soil in the back garden is a different colour from the soil next door.

We write four kinds of piece: deep explainers that take a topic slowly, step by step; "why does this happen" articles that answer one everyday question; thought experiments you can try in your head over a cuppa; and short histories of how people came to understand the ground.

We stick to well-established science of the kind found in textbooks. Where scientists are still working something out, we say so plainly. Our writers are curious amateurs and gentle explainers, not authorities, and they will happily tell you when they got something wrong the first time.

Pull on your boots, bring a friend, and have a look down. Thanks for reading.