Use of remotely sensed data for soil mapping

Soil maps have been prepared hitherto by conventional ground surveys and by using aerial photographs. In this paper, the use of LANDSAT data for preparation of small scale soil maps upto association of sub-group level has been discussed. Typical spectral curves for various soils and landuse categories were given based on the mean spectral levels for each LANDSAT band obtained from Multispectral Data Analysis System (M-DAS). Soil characterization using the multispectral data could be done by both image oriented and numerically oriented approaches. The small scale soil maps thus prepared by using the satellite data could be used for regional planning and as map base for further detailed surveys.