Investigation of soil influences in AVHRR red and near-infrared vegetation index imagery

Abstract

The effects of soil optical properties on vegetation index imagery are analysed with ground-based spectral measurements and both simulated and actual AVHRR data from the NOAA satellites. Soil effects on vegetation indices were divided into primary variations associated with the brightness of bare soils, secondary variations attributed to 'colour’ differences among bare soils, and soil-vegetation spectral mixing. Primary variations were attributed to shifts in the soil line owing to atmosphere or soil composition. Secondary soil variance was responsible for the Saharan desert 'artefact’ areas of increased vegetation index response in AVHRR imagery. The impact of soil effects is discussed with a transect of vegetation index data derived from NOAA data from desert to equatorial forest.