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Spectral Reflectance of Selected Pennsylvania Soils¹

ABSTRACT

Spectral reflectance curves of selected soil characterization samples and standard clay minerals were studied over the wavelength interval 0.5 to 2.6µm. Results reported include reflectance data from three Hagerstown profiles and the Ap horizons of a Berks, Penn, and Ellery profile. Hagerstown soils are developed from limestone while the Berks, Penn, and Ellery are developed from shale, sandstone, and glacial deposits, respectively. Spectral curves for standard clay mineral samples of nontronite, kaolinite, and illite are also included.

Spectral reflectance data indicate that clay type and the amount of organic matter, free iron oxides and silt influence the intensity of energy reflected by soils in the 0.5 to 2.6µm range. High contents of organic matter and free iron oxides reduced reflectance intensity in the 0.5-to-1.2µm range while clay type influenced curve shape and intensity over the entire range studied. For the Hagerstown profiles silt is highly correlated with percent reflectance in the 0.8-to-2.5µm range.

¹ Authorized for publication on Sep. 12, 1972 as paper no. 4293 of the Journal series of the Pennsylvania Agr. Exp. Sta., University Park, Pa. Presented before Div. S-5, Soil Science Society of America, New York, N.Y., Aug. 17, 1971.

² Research Assistant, and Associate Professors of Soil Genesis and Morphology, Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, Pa., respectively. The senior author is currently soil scientist, Earth Sciences Office, NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771.

Received for publication September 25, 1972. Accepted for publication February 21, 1973.