Physical Characteristics of Soil Collected in Iraq and Afghanistan Related to Remote Sensing

Abstract

Interrelationships among soil and environmental properties are typically nonlinear. They are affected by environmental conditions such as air temperature, soil temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation. Military engineering research programs are investing extensively in quantifying the effects of each soil property and environmental property on signal attenuation, magnetic susceptibility, reflectance, and ultimately on sensor performance. In support of joint military interests, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) conducted soil testing and sampling in Iraq in 2008 and in Afghanistan in 2009. Data sets from each sampling site were spatially coincident and were geo-located using a global positioning system (GPS) to provide the fidelity required for multiple realizations of scene parameters. This paper discusses some initial findings from analyses of the soil samples and data. Soil at the surface and in the underlying subsurface layers could be differentiated based on textural, spectral, chemical and electrical properties. Disturbed soil could be identified, as expected, with remote sensing technology. A regular arrangement of soil characteristics existed in the arid soil in both Iraq and Afghanistan. A comprehensive database including these soil properties is on a secure server located at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Reachback Operations Center (UROC) at the ERDC. The soils data and all other properties are available for download through the UROC's secure web site and are incorporated into site-specific geospatial viewers. This access and retrieval portal allows for user-defined data selection for custom development and validation of technologies to model, measure, and mitigate the effects of geo-environmental factors that impact the detection capabilities of sensors.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA592306

Entities

People

  • J. R. Kelley
  • J. R. Mckenna
  • L. D. Wakeley
  • S. S. Jackson

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Army Corps Of Engineers
  • Data Sets
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Electrical Properties
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Geographic Information Systems
  • Groundwater
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Physical Properties
  • Radiation
  • Reflectance
  • Remote Sensing
  • Solar Radiation
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface Roughness

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Geotechnical Engineering.
  • Wetland-Land-Environmental Management.

Technology Areas

  • Space