STUDY OF THE PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SOILS THROUGH INTERPRETATION OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

The purpose of the research work proposed is the study of the physical properties of the soils by means of the interpretation of aerial photographs. This study is to be carried out in two years and thus it is not possible to give definite conclusions at the end of the first year, although the results we have obtained are highly satisfactory. In our opinion and after the experience of the first year, the working problem of the study of the physical properties of the soils through aerial photographs, can be examined from two different aspects. The first of them could be called the "deductive" method and consists in acquiring knowledge of the physical properties of the soils by means of successive interpretations of aerial photographs; through photo-interpretation we study the physical geography of an area, its hydrographic net, natural vegetation and man introduced cultivations, the forms of erosion and the nature of the geological material. During this first year the work has, in the main, been carried out in the field and in the laboratory; we have studied the soils and vegetation of two large, representative areas of Spain, having mapped them, the soils series, and vegetation with the aid of photo-interpretation in one case but not so in other case, the aim being to compare the advantages offered by aerial photography interpretation on the science of soil. During the second year of the contract we will try to deduce the physical properties of the soil "directly" from the aerial photographs by means of establishing dicotomic keys. This work will be carried out by the combination of the different methods of photo-interpretation, convergence towards evidence, induction and deduction, extrapolation and interpolation, and analogy with the real criteria and which are the important and elaborate part of a systematic study. For all this we shall use the aerial photographs of 1:10,000 and 1:30,000 scales and will carry out the profound study of the soil types already known and which by their nature represent a large surface of the Spanish soils. We shall complete the study of these physical properties by comparing them with the vegetation and cultivation, relief and geological material, all the variables which put together give the "forms of relief" of the aerial photographs, with the intention that these properties can be interpreted, as we say above, by technicians not specialized in Pedology.

• Corporate Authors:

  Instituto de Edafologia y Fisiologia Vegetal

  Serrano 113
  Madrid (6),   Spain 
• Authors:
  • Albareda, J M
  • Guerra, A
  • Galiano, E F
  • Montarial, F
  • Vicente, J G
• Publication Date: 1964-3-31

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 78 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aerial photography; Geography; Laboratory studies; Photointerpretation; Physical properties; Properties of materials; Soil science; Soils; Vegetation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Soil properties
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; Highways; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00084101
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 15 1975 12:00AM