Soil survey and mapping using remote sensing

Soil survey constitutes a valuable resource inventory linked with the survival of life on the earth. The technological advancements in the field of remote sensing and Geographical Information System have been a boon for such surveys. Present paper describes the role of remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies for mapping and characterizing soils at various scales. The spectral behaviour of soil and its components, which is fundamental to deriving information from remote sensing data, is also discussed with illustrations. fore, the scope of present day remote sensing data for varying levels information generation is also reviewed.