1. The Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL) : Importance and Activity
Prepared by Prof. Eyal Ben Dor
The Remote Sensing Laboratory, Tel Aviv University
Presented by Stephane Chevrel
PoC CA-06 1
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

2. Definition: Soil and Soil spectroscopy, Soil spectral library
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Definition: Soil and Soil spectroscopy, Soil spectral library
Soil Spectra: Prediction attributes, Utilization
Soil Spectral Library: Importance
Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL) – Evaluation
Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL) – Examples
Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL) – Problems
Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL) – Solutions
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

3. A medium for plants to grow
SOIL
A medium for plants to grow
The upper layer of the earth (  0-2m) represent its loose surface material which is dug, plowed and being a medium for plants to grow. (Thompson 1957)
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

4. SOIL is a complex system characterized by chemical and physical attributes that plays a critical role in the food production for the entire mankind
Soil composed of :
clay and clay minerals
silt
sand
organic matter
Carbonates
Minerals
iron oxides
water
particles
air
Cations
Anions
Flora
Fauna
Return Impact
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

5. SOIL SPECTROSCOPY
The soil matter interacts with the reflectance/emittance part of the electromagnetic radiation across the VIS-NIR-SWIR-TIR spectral region range ( mm).
This interaction can be measured using appropriate spectrometers, including handheld
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

6. An effective way to simplify the complexity of the soil system
A typical Soil Reflectance Spectrum
An effective way to simplify the complexity of the soil system
Iron Oxides
Hygroscopic Water
Clays
Organic Matter
Calcite
Wavelength (mm) =
The reflectance spectrum is the soil “fingerprint”
Reflectance spectra can characterize the chemical, physical and mineralogical composition of soils
A chromophore is the part of a molecule responsible for its color
Chromophore = An attribute that interact with the electromagnetic radiation
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

7. Soil Spectral Library
Soil samples at storage, with wet chemistry data plus reflectance spectra measured under a well accepted protocol process
Soil Attributes
Soil Spectra Files
Sample Location OM Clay Lime….
A , % % %
36,654,32
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

8. Examples of some of the soil attributes that can be extracted from spectral library (1)
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

9. Examples of some of the soil attributes that can be extracted from spectral library (2)
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

10. Importance of soil spectroscopy
Number of papers published in soil spectroscopy over the years :
Point and Image domains
Point Spectroscopy
Image Spectroscopy
Number of papers and Patents
Year
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

11. Private Sector has just discovered the importance of Soil Spectral Library
2016
Rapid (and massive) analyses of soil samples without the need for “wet” laboratories
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

12. CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
spectra can be recorded at points or by imaging, from different platforms; by proximal sensing in the field, in the laboratory using sampled material, or from remote sensing platforms with multi- and hyperspectral capabilities
Provided by Viscarra Rossel
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

13. Soil Spectroscopy is a way to integrate the complex interactions between several soil attributes in one figure
The endmembers in a given soil spectrum are all chromophores with a physical and chemical basis
Spectral data mining of a given SSL can provide information (“model”) about several endmembers (attributes) rapidly even if they are non linear
Soil data mining of a “model” requires hundreds of spectra samples in order to provide reliable results
These make the (big ) soil spectral data important for many application and support the idea of the Global Soil Spectral Library (GSSL)
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

14. In 2006 Raphael Viscarra Rossel (CSIRO) understood the GSSL importance and initiated an activity toward establishing the first GSSL
provided by Viscarra Rossel
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

15. Global Soil VNIR-SWIR Spectra
In 2015 Viscarra Rossel effort yield the first GSSL
Global Soil VNIR-SWIR Spectra
Some 20,000 VNIR-SWIR reflectance spectra from 12,509 sites in 92 countries
over the 7 continents
45 collaborators from 35 institutions collaborate to the global database
provided by Viscarra Rossel
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

16. Attributes Continent Position Description provided by Viscarra Rossel
FAO WRB = World Reference Base major soil groups
provided by Viscarra Rossel
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

17. Authors: Those who contribute to GSSL established by Viscarra Rossel
R.A. Viscarra Rossel et al. / Earth-Science Reviews 155 (2016) 198–230
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

18. Soil Inventory in the GSSL
Viscarra Rossel 2015
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

19. Spectral Based Unsupervised classification of World soil from the GSSL: Example
Class 1: smectitic
Class 2: kaolinitic
Class 3: hematitic
Class 4: goethitic
Class 5: organic
Class 6: illitic
Viscarra Rossel 2015
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

20. Chemometric (non linear spectral data mining) from the GSSL: Example
Quantitative information can be extracted from SSL
A spectral based model is empirically generated from the multiple relationship between the spectra and the wet chemistry data
The "predictors“ are the predicted soil attributes after generated the "global model" for each attribute  based on the GSSL data
It shows that there is more organic C in the soil of cooler and wetter environments towards the highest latitudes, except in Antarctica. The soil near the equator
and that which occurs at mid-latitudes in either hemisphere, where most agriculture occurs also has more organic C. (a)
(e) Soil in the arid regions of southern United States, in Europe and Australia have more CaCO3.
Viscarra Rossel 2015
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

21. Example: The LUCAS spectral library
More SSLs are being generated since the first GSSL has established BUT not (yet) merge with the GSSL
Example: The LUCAS spectral library
2011
Current status:
23 European countries
~20,000 high quality spectral readings
Metadata: Clay, silt, sand, OC, pH, CEC, CaCO3, Geographical coordinates, land use, etc
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

22. Soil Spectral Library : The problems
As SSL can be used quantitatively – protocol and QA –QI must be used in order to merge SSLs from varieties of sources
New players are entering the SS field without a concrete background
As SSLs hold a commercial value – a way to share data must be agreed by all data contributors in order to ensure future enlargement of the GSSL
Quality assessment and quality improvement
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

23. Solution for problem 1 The Internal Soil Standard
Lucky Bay
Wylie Bay
The Internal Soil Standard
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

24. Solution for problem 2
A simple protocol has established for new users Since 2014
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

25. Solution for Problem 3
Following the EUFAR EWG meeting in October 2016 a document that will align all the IP issues in a way that all will be able to contribute to the GSSL and benefit from it without violating IP.
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016

26. The Global Soil Spectroscopy Library Summary
Reflectance spectroscopy (RS) of soils is an important property for Food Security issues world wide.
Spectral libraries are generated under regional, national, continental and global scales.
The GSSL initiative paves the road to accumulate libraries from all scales and all resources
Standard and protocols as well as a shared agreement document in order to ensure better GSSL management is under a formulating stage
The GSSL is an important voluntary project that requires better recognition by international organization such as the UN and GEO 26
CA-06 Energy and Mineral Resources Management
GEO-XIII Plenary St. Petersburg November 2016