Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Postfire Soil Properties

Lewis, S.A.; Robichaud, P.R.; Elliot, W.J.; Frazier, B.E.; and Wu, J.Q. 2004. Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Postfire Soil Properties. In: Remote Sensing for Field Users, Proceedings of the Tenth Forest Service Remote Sensing Applications Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 5-9, 2004. CD-ROM. 9 p.

Keywords: hyperspectral

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Abstract: Forest fires may induce changes in soil organic properties that often lead to water repellent conditions within the soil profile that decrease soil infiltration capacity. The remote detection of water repellent soils after forest fires would lead to quicker and more accurate assessment of erosion potential. An airborne hyperspectral image was acquired over the Hayman Fire in the summer of 2002. A supervised classification was performed in an attempt to identify soils that were highly water repellent. The classification was not accurate in determining water repellency severity, but it was nearly 80 percent accurate for identifying the presence of surface water repellency. According to the classified image, nearly 20 percent of the Hayman Fire had water repellent soils.

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