GORS 1(16) Estimation of iron oxides from high-resolution satellite image data according to field-derived spectrum models for the soils of the lower basin of Al-Abrash River/Tartous

Abstract

Abstract: In this research, the spectral segnature was determined within the wave range (350-2500) nm for the soils of the lower basin of the Al-Abrash River in the Akkar Plain in Tartous Governorate. The amount of iron oxides was estimated in those studied soils. The soil content of iron oxides in the study area was estimated based on the best spectral model based on spectral reflectance measurement in any of the following models: wavelengths (ʎ), spectral bands, bands ratio, mathematical transformations of the index of contrast normalized with three spectral bands (b3, b5, b7). The results showed that the best model for spectral estimation of iron oxides from the rest of the models is with the following mathematical transformation relationship   according to the mathematical model represented by the following power equation: Fe = 5.64(Hy_7-5-3)^1.66  for spectral bands (b3, b5, b7). The accuracy of estimating the percentage of iron oxides estimated to field was 81% at the field level directly, with an average percentage of iron oxides in the sampling fields 16.3% compared to 16.7% estimated from satellite images of the same fields with a standard deviation of 5.4 and 5.2, respectively. Iron oxides distribution is mapping for the soils of the study area by applying that best model to high-resolution satellite image data.