An approach to correlate NDVI with soil colour for erosion process using NOAA/AVHRR data

In this paper, it is tried to establish a relationship between Munsell soil colour and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)/Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data. If relationship between Munsell colour and NDVI can be developed, then there is a great potential for using NOAA/AVHRR data with coarse spatial resolution of 1.1 km to study and map soil over large areas and it would also be helpful to predict the erosion process. Eroded soils show higher Munsell values as a consequence of the removal of top soil and subsequent decrease in organic matter. A linear empirical model has been developed to correlate the NDVI with Munsell soil colour (i.e., Hue, Value and Chroma). Good correlations between NDVI and Hue and NDVI and Chroma have been established. It was also found that NDVI is more dependent on Hue and Chroma than on Value. This study is helpful to develop a relationship between NDVI and soil colour so as to establish assessment of soil colour using satellite data, which in turn could be used to predict the erosion process in any area.