SPACE IMAGERY IN THE STUDY OF SOIL COVER IN THE KUDA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

A Russian remote sensing specialist reviews applications of false-color imagery obtained from multispectral space cameras in the study of soils, using the Kuda River basin of Siberia as a case study. The focus is on the analytical power, at diverse spectral resolutions, of multiscalar and multitemporal research approaches made possible by remote sensing technologies. Discussion also centers on the need to employ indirect methods of image interpretation because of concealment of soils from direct observation by vegetation. The study compares imagery from a variety of spectral ranges to determine the most informative wavelengths for discrimination of soil types. Translated by Edward Torrey, Alexandria VA from: Geografiya i prirodnyye resursy, 1999, No. 4, pp. 94-97.