The color of soils as a basis for proximal sensing of their composition

Abstract

The color is one of the main morphological properties of soils, as it integrally reflects their material composition. Most of the macro-, micro- and nano-morphological methods in pedology are based on the analysis of soil reflectance characteristics within the visible spectrum (i.e., soils color). The evolution of soil color study methods and the features of modern instruments are described in the report. The main directions in the development of this field of soil science as well as the achievements and problems to be addressed in the study of soil color are demonstrated by specific examples.

Keywords

• spectral reflectance characteristics of soils
• visible spectrum
• remote sensing
• proximal sensing