The delineation of a major soil association in the loess region of Obion County has been accomplished using ERTS-1 imagery. Channel 7 provides the clearest differentiation. The separation of other smaller soil associations in an intensive row crop agricultural area is somewhat more difficult. Soil differentiation has been accomplished visually as well as electronically using a scanning microdensitometer. Lower altitude aircraft imagery permits a more refined soil association identification and where imagery is of sufficient scale, even individual soils may be identified

Bodenheimer, R. E.

Parks, W. L.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

Paper A 14 
DELINEATION OF MAJOR SOIL ASSOCIATIONS USING ERTS-1 IMAGERY 
W. L. Parks and R. E. Bodenheimer, Departments of Soil Science and Electrical 
Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 
The delineation of a mujor r o i l  arrociation i n  the loerr 
region of Obion County ha8 been accomplirhd uring B#rS-1 
imagery. Channel 7 provider the c learer t  different ia t ion.  
The reparation of other omal la  r o i l  u r o c i a t i a a r  i n  sn intan- 
r ive rw crop agricul turr l  area i r  somewhat more d i f f i cu l t .  
Soi l  different ia t ion ha8 been a c c q l l r h e d  virual ly  a8 well ar  
electronically uring a rcanning adcrodenritoaater. Lower 
a l t i tude  a i r c r a f t  imagery permit8 a w r e  refined s o i l  -80- 
tic-tion ident i f icat ion and where imagery i r  of ruff ic ient  
rcale,  even individual r o i l r  may be identified. 
The reflectance c h u a c t e r i r t i c r  of r o i l r  a re  conditioned by many 
factorr.  The r o i l  color and r o i l  moirture contmt are two factors 
that  greatly influence r o i l  reflectance. The mediua textured 80118 of 
the routheart generally have a reddirh or yellawirh hue. The ref lec-  
tance from there r o i l r  generally reacher a miniam a t  a ao i r tu re  
content of 16 t o  18 percent by weight (about 2 bar8 tenr im) .  Aa the 
moisture content increarer or decreuer ,  the r o i l  reflectance i a c r e u e r ~  
Haxiennn r o i l  reflectance i r  obtainad a t  a ao i r tu re  level  near or 
s l igh t ly  below f ie ld  capacity (1/3 b u  tension). 
I f  r o i l r  a re  t o  be delineated through the we of alrcrakt or W S  
imagery, the ber t  cmdit ionr  u e  when the r o i l  i r  void of vegetation 
and preferably i n  a frerhly t i l l e d  r ta te .  Thir condition i r  genaa l ly  
found only i n  u e u  of intenrive raw crop agriculture or u e a r  where a11 
vegetation i r  reamed f r a  the land each year u i n  r e c t i m r  of devel- 
oping countrier with extreme8 i n  yearly r a i n f a l l  d i r t r i bu t lm .  
Another mean8 for  r o i l  tdontificatian i r  whae  the r o i l  i r  c w a o d  
with a vegetative cover c h u a c t a i a t i c  t o  a p u t i c u l u  r o i l  u roc i a t i on  
or r o i l  group. Thir character i r t ic  occusr i n  many f o r e r t d  u e u  but 
may a180 be found i n  other typw of vegetative ccwa. In  rvch c u e 8  the  
r o i l  arrociatianr u e  delineatad through the  reflactance c h a a c t r r i r t i c r  
of a reuonably uniform type of vegetation porrerring the  8 bouad- 
ar ie r  a8 the r o i l  u roc ia t ionr .  The idont i t icat ion of vegetation type8 
through reflectance c h a r a c t a i r t i c r  i r  qu i te  widely kaam and urod. 
PRECEDING PAGE BLANK NOT F'ILMED 121 
Original photography may be purchased 
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https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19730019490 2020-03-17T09:04:27+00:00Z
METIIODS OF l3iAGEF.Y ANALYSIS 
Channel 7 ERTS-1 imagery i n  94 inch tranrparenciea war ured 
i n  these r tud ie r .  After v isual  analysis ,  re lec ted areas a re  
analyzed through the  use of a high speed d i g i t a l  scanning micro- 
dens i tme te r  and an I B M  360/65 computer with the appropriate r o f t -  
ware developed for th ie  type of analysis .  A 25 micrometer r a s t e r  
war ured for  ecanning. 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
The example reported herein i r  a care  of r o i l  aseociat ion 
delineation through the  r e f l e c t i v e  charac te r i s t i c r  of a f a i r l y  uniform 
c w e r  of vagetation. I n  t h i r  pa r t i cu la r  ca re  the  Memphis r o i l  aaro- 
c i a t ion  may be iden t i f i ed  i n  Obion County using ERTS imgc-y. Thir  
Memphis r o i l  a rsocia t ion occurr i n  t ' . t  wertern edge of the  loe r r  t h a t  
covers most of Wert Tannerree. . k n c n  a8 t h e  "bluffs" and occurr 
a t  the  break between the  loerr  the d e l t a  a3110 of the  
Mirsisrippi  floodplain. 
Figure 1 shows a photograph ;hamel 7, ERTS-1 imagery of 1, 
October, 1972 and a r o i l  a r r o c i a t i m  map of Obion County. The o r i m -  
t a t i o n  featurt*, i n  the  photograph are Reelfoot Lake and the  Misr i r r ippi  
River i n  northwest corner and the  Obion River t h a t  c ro r re r  thz  county 
from nor thear t  t o  the  routhwert. The map and p ic tu re  r c a l e  i r  1 inch 
equhlr about 8.5 mile8 . 
The demphir s o i l  a r rocia t ion I8 the  l u g e  block (No. ?) i n  the  
wertern port ion of the  county. A 8-11 block of the Memphis u r o .  
c i a t i o n  i r  found i n  the  northwert port ion of the  county and extend8 
acrorr  the  r t a t e  l i n e  i n t o  Kentucky. The u e a  h u  a f a i r l y  uniform 
vegetative c w e r  of par ture  g ra r re r  and t h i r  c h u a c t e r i r t i c  permit8 
i t 8  del ineat ion through PRTS-1 imagary S a a l l  cu l t iva t ion  and wooded 
area8 a r e  found throughout the  u e a  but mort of there  u a  not  of ru t -  
f i c i e n t  mire t o  be detected. The ueer a r t  of t h e  l a rge  Ma~phir  block 
i r  one of in tenr ive  raw crop agricultura.  
The computer pr in tout  of the l u g e  block of the Memphir ar ro-  
c i a t ion  i r  too large  t o  be adequately r h m  i n  one photograph. Figura 
2 rhawr a -11 portion of the computer pr in tout  tha t  r e p u a t e r  Reel- 
foot  Lake, the  Adler-Convent-Falaya, and the  Mmphir r o i l  a r roc ia tk im.  
Figure 3 rhawr the  computer pr in tout  of the  Obion Rirat: and t h e  adjacent 
Waverly-Svr~~p u r o c i a t i o n .  
There finding8 d r o a r t r a t ~  the  f a u i b i l i t y  of del ineat ing M j O t  
80118 through vegetat ive c. -st charac te r i r t i co  comon t o  the  roilr i n  
quartion. Cham01 7 prwidea  &he rort information f o r  8tudi.r of t h i r  
typa. 
\ 1 T T 
1 
1)) 4 
1 
From W T S - 1 ,  Obion County, Tennessee, 1, October, 1972 
J 
I 
I 
I 
- - - + * + . - -  
Obion County sail srroclatianr: la Wdre-Shsrkey, 2. Adler- 
Convent-Palaya, 3. Memphis, 4. Routon-Callmay-Center, 5 .  Grcnada- 
Wing-Center, 6. Fountain-Dekwerl, 7. Fa Iaya-Waver lp-Collinr , 
&. Wavetlp-Falaya-Swa, 9 .  Tber1.r-Sharkey. \ I 
Figure 1. mS-t imagery snd roil amsociattaa map of 3bion County, 
Tenncrsee ohwing delineation of the PIrmphLm r o i l  arrocireion. 
123 4 
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r a n  ~ - - x o L o o o @ u u ~ Q ~ * I ~ I . I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ u ~ ~ ' ~ ~ u  t 1 a x ~ r n 7 i ~  
.#a SOIL ASSOCmTlQN , I  t -amr~caruu#~roo m J o c : t # l l r c r c r  a r  1 r r n m 4  
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f igurt 2. Coqucer printcut frm BRTS-1 imagery evaluation reparating 
Raalfmr Uka, the  Adlet-Corwaat-Palaya, md the U q M a  
soil arrociationm, 
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r r r m # S t m l . r . m #  r D ~ B t l m * . m . ~ m m m * ~ r m . m - . . . ~ ~ m ~ m m * ~ - . : - ~ ~ ~ * . m m ~ ~ - . . m - l  rl..-.. 1. .. 
-vw - r -Y8r r r r - - 8  t r - r m r . m u o - r . - m .  -- . . .. -mm-;$-~-m- 
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Fiwm 3, m u t a t  printour A m -  m&1 bmaaary waluatim r h o w i ~  
t h ~  Obiom River and tka rdjacme Wnvarly-Sump arm. 


Delineation of major soil associations using ERTS-1 imagery

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