Application of Geant4 simulation for analysis of soil carbon inelastic neutron scattering measurements

•The Geant4 Monte-Carlo simulation of inelastic neutron scattering in soil was done.•The agreement between simulated and measured gamma spectra was demonstrated.•The carbon INS signal is proportional to carbon content in an ~10 cm soil layer.•This proportionality is correct for any carbon depth distribution pattern

Inelastic neutron scattering (INS) was applied to determine soil carbon content. Due to non-uniform soil carbon depth distribution, the correlation between INS signals with some soil carbon content parameter is not obvious; however, a proportionality between INS signals and average carbon weight percent in ~10 cm layer for any carbon depth profile is demonstrated using Monte-Carlo simulation (Geant4). Comparison of INS and dry combustion measurements confirms this conclusion. Thus, INS measurements give the value of this soil carbon parameter.