Investigation on the utilization of IKONOS digital satellite data for the production of detailed soil maps in a selected area in the Aegean region

In this study, the utilazation of digital satellite data were investigated in order to produce detailed soil maps of the Karpuzlu plain located in the Agean Region where there is intensive agriculture. Landsat 7. ETM+ and IKONOS digital data were used to produce the detailed soil maps for the study area. Bands 3. (red), 5. QR) and 7. (JR) for Landsat 7 ETM+ and IKONOS satellite image bands 1. (blue), 2. (green) and 3. (red) were considered in order to determine the best combination to find out the soil surface properties with the application of unsupervised classification. The results of Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI) using IKONOS satellite image data have found that 55.7 % of the study area was covered with the vegetation in different densities. As a result of the analyses, it was accepted that the test area, unsupervised classification results were insufficient for the determination of different soil types and their classification because of dense vegetation coverage. Consequently IKONOS enhanced images were used like a standard colour aerial photograph to make photo- interpretation. An enhanced image (bands 1,2,3 combination) and a monoscopic interpretation map of soil boundaries was formed to produce a draft soil map for field observation. After the field work, using soil interpretation maps and DEM maps, 18 different soil series having discrete properties located on 7 different physiographic units were identified. These are classified as Entisols and Inceptisols with respect to Soil Taxonomy and as Fluvisols, Cambisols and Regosols according to FAO/UNESCO. The soils of study area was surveyed and mapped at the scale of 1/5.000 and each soil series is considered as a mapping unit. The IKONOS enhanced image interpretation map, in the selected test areas were compared with the final detailed soil map in order to determine the accuracy of the visual interpretation. It was the linear accuracy rate and the dot accuracy rates are 65.4 % and 64.8 % respectively. As the result, unsupervised classification was not to be able to utilize the study area, where the dense vegetation covered the surface of the soils. The detailed soil map was obtained by monoscopic visual interpretation of the enhanced IKONOS satellite images provided a certain accuracy rate and also created some advantages to the soil mapping experts for detailed soil mapping studies and decreased the time consumed for the determination of the soil boundaries. Key words: Ikonos, Aegean Region, Detailed Soil Survey Mapping, Enhenced Images II