Soils in arid and semi-arid regions are strongly affected by the accumulation of carbonates, gypsum and other, more soluble, salts. Carbonates and gypsum both have a considerable influence on soil properties, especially the chemical properties of the soil solution. The development of reliable, fast and inexpensive methods to quantify the amounts of carbonates and gypsum in soil is therefore important. Visible and near infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy is a non-destructive, rapid and cheap method for measuring several soil properties simultaneously. However, research on vis-NIR spectroscopy in quantifying carbonates and gypsum is limited. Therefore, this study evaluated the efficiency of vis-NIR spectroscopy in quantifying carbonates and gypsum in surface soils using partial least-squares regression (PLSR) compared with standard laboratory methods and compared PLSR with a feature-specific method using continuum removal (CR). Carbonates and gypsum in a total of 251 sieved and air-dried topsoil samples from Isfahan Province in central Iran were measured by standard laboratory methods and vis-NIR spectroscopy (350–2500 nm wavelength range). In parallel, PLSR and the feature- specific method based on CR spectra were used to predict carbonates and gypsum. The PLSR model efficiency (E) for carbonates and gypsum in the validation set was 0.52 and 0.80, respectively. The PLSR model resulted in better predictions than the feature-specific method for both soil properties. Because of the unique absorption features of gypsum, which did not overlap with other soil properties, predictions of gypsum resulted in higher E values and lower errors than predictions of carbonates.
KefiS.RietkerkM. and KatulG.G., “Vegetation pattern shift as a result of rising atmospheric CO2 in arid ecosystems”, Theor. Popul. Biol.74, 332 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tpb.2008.09.004
3.
NaithaniK.J.EwersB.E. and PendallE., “Sap flux-scaled transpiration and stomatal conductance response to soil and atmospheric drought in a semi-arid sagebrush ecosystem”, J. Hydrol.464–465, 176 (2012). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13592-013-0221-x
4.
MongerH.C., “Arid soils”, in Encyclopedia of Soil Science, vol. 1, 2nd edition, Ed by LalR.Taylor & Francis/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (2006).
5.
DonerH.E. and LynnW.C., “Carbonate, halide, sulfate and sulfide minerals,” in Minerals in Soil Environments, 2nd edition, Ed by DixonJ.B. and WeedS.B.Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, p. 75 (1989).
6.
ViscontiF.De PazJ.M. and RubioJ.L., “Calcite and gypsum solubility products in water-saturated salt-affected soil samples at 25°C and at least up to 14 Ds M-1”, Eur. J. Soil Sci.61, 255 (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2389.2009.01214.x
7.
HerreroJ.PortaJ. and FedoroffN., “Hypergypsic soil micromorphology and landscape relationships in northern Spain”, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.56, 1188 (1992).
8.
WatsonA., “Desert gypsum crusts as palaeoenvironmental indicators: A micropetrographic study of crusts from southern Tunisia and the Central Namib Desert”, J. Arid Environ.15, 19 (1988).
9.
FAO, “Management of gypsiferous soils,” in Soils Bulletin, vol. 62. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome (1990).
LovedayJ., Ed. “Methods for analysis of irrigated soils”, Technical Communication No. 54. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, UK (1974).
13.
ArtiedaO., Factores Geológicos Que Inciden En El Desarrollo De Los Suelos En Un Medio Semiárido. MS thesis, Universidad de Zaragoza (1993).
RichardsL.A., Ed. Diagnosis and Improvement of Saline and Alkali Soils.United States Salinity Laboratory Staff, Washington, DC (1954).
16.
AllisonL.E. and MoodieC.D., “Carbonate,” in Methods of Soil Analysis, vol. 9, 2nd edition, Ed by BlackC.A. Agronomy Monograph, ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI (1965).
LoeppertR.H. and SuarezD.L., “Carbonate and gypsum,” in Methods of Soil Analysisvol. 5, SparksD.L.PageA.L.HelmkeP.A.LoeppertR.H.SoltanpourP.N.TabatabaiM.A.JohnsonC.T. and SumnerM.E., Eds. SSSAMadison, WI (1996).
22.
GuerreroC.RosselR.A.V. and MouazenA.M., “Special issue ‘Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy in Soil Science and Land Resource Assessment’”, Geoderma158, 1 (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.05.008
23.
StenbergB.RosselViscarra R.A.MouazenA.M. and WetterlindJ., “Visible and near infrared spectroscopy in soil science”, in Advances in Agronomy107, 163, Ed by DonaldL.S.Academic Press, London (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2113(10)07005-7
24.
StenbergB.NordkvistE. and SalomonssonL., “Use of near infrared reflectance spectra of soils for objective selection of samples”, Soil Sci.159, 109 (1995). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199502000-00005
25.
RosselViscarra R.A.CattleS.R.OrtegaA. and FouadY., “In situ measurements of soil colour, mineral composition and clay content by vis-NIR spectroscopy”, Geoderma150, 253 (2009). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2009.01.025
26.
SummersD.LewisM.OstendorfB. and ChittleboroughD., “Visible near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy as a predictive indicator of soil properties”, Ecol. Indic.11, 123 (2011). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2009.05.001
27.
ZornozaR.GuerreroC.Mataix-SoleraJ.ScowK.M.ArceneguiV. and Mataix-BeneytoJ., “Near infrared spectroscopy for determination of various physical, chemical and biochemical properties in Mediterranean soils”, Soil Biol. Biochem.40, 1923 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.04.003
28.
DongY.-W.YangS.-Q.XuC.-Y.LiY.-Z.BaiW.FanZ.-N.WangY.-N. and LiQ.-Z., “Determination of soil parameters in apple-growing regions by near- and mid-infrared spectroscopy”, Pedosphere21, 591 (2011). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(11)60161-6
29.
XuemeiL. and JiansheL., “Measurement of soil properties using visible and short wave-near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate calibration”, Measurement46, 3808 (2013). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2013.07.007
Bellon-MaurelV. and McBratneyA., “Near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic techniques for assessing the amount of carbon stock in soils—critical review and research perspectives”, Soil Biol. Biochem.43, 1398 (2011). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.02.019
32.
ClarkR.N.KingT.V.V.KlejwaM.SwayzeG.A. and VergoN., “High spectral resolution reflectance spectroscopy of minerals”, J. Geophys. Res.95, 12 (1990). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/JB095iB08p12653
33.
HuntG.R.SalisburyJ.W. and LenhoffC.J., “Visible and near infrared spectra of minerals and rocks: IV. Sulphides and sulphates”, Mod. Geol.3, 1 (1971).
34.
BilgiliVolkan A.van EsH.M.AkbasF.DurakA. and HivelyW.D., “Visible-near infrared reflectance spectroscopy for assessment of soil properties in a semi-arid area of Turkey”, J. Arid Environ.74, 229 (2010). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2009.08.011
35.
ZelikmanE. and CarminaE., “The spectral response characteristics of the soils and their possible estimation by using partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis”, Int. J. Geomat. Geosci.3, 438 (2013).
36.
GrasJ.P.BarthèsB.G.MahautB. and TrupinS., “Best practices for obtaining and processing field visible and near infrared (VNIR) spectra of topsoils”, Geoderma214–215, 126 (2014). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2013.09.021
37.
VasquesG.M.GrunwaldS. and SickmanJ.O., “Comparison of multivariate methods for inferential modeling of soil carbon using visible/near-infrared spectra”, Geoderma146, 14 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.04.007
38.
RosselViscarra R.A., “Fine-resolution multiscale mapping of clay minerals in Australian soils measured with near infrared spectra”, J. Geophys. Res.: Earth Surf.116, F04023 (2011). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2011JF001977
39.
ClarkR.N. and RoushT.L., “Reflectance spectroscopy: Quantitative analysis techniques for remote sensing applications”, J. Geophys. Res.89, 6329 (1984). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/JB089iB07p06329
40.
GomezC.LagacherieP. and CouloumaG., “Continuum removal versus plsr method for clay and calcium carbonate content estimation from laboratory and airborne hyperspectral measurements”, Geoderma148, 141 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.09.016
41.
NettoMadeira J.S.Robbez-MassonJ.M. and MartinsE., Visible-NIR Hyperspectral Imagery for Discriminating Soil Types in the La Peyne Watershed (France), vol. 31 (2006).
42.
SorbiA., Geological Map of Isfahan Province, Scale (1/1000000).Geological Survey of Iran, Iran (2002).
43.
NelsonR.E., “Carbonate and Gypsum,” in Methods of Soil Analysis, 2nd edition, vol. 9, Ed by PageA.L.E.A.SSSA, Madison, WI (1982).
44.
SavitzkyA. and GolayM., “Smoothing and differentiation of data by simplified least squares procedures”, Anal. Chem.36, 1627 (1964). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac60214a047
45.
MartensH. and NaesT., Multivariate Calibration.John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK (1989).
LamasF.IrigarayC.OteoC. and ChacónJ., “Selection of the most appropriate method to determine the carbonate content for engineering purposes with particular regard to marls”, Eng. Geol.81, 32 (2005). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2005.07.005
48.
FarmerV.C., (Ed), The Infrared Spectra of Minerals, Mineralogical Society, London (1974)
49.
LiuY.WangA., and FreemanJ.J., “Raman, MIR and NIR spectroscopic study of calcium sulfates: Gypsum, bassanite and anhydrite”, in Proceedings of the 40th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 23–27 March 2009, The Woodlands, TX. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2009/pdf/2128.pdf (2009)
50.
WhiteW.B., “The carbonate minerals”, in The Infrared Spectra of Minerals, Ed by FarmerV.C., Mineralogical Society, London (1974)
51.
HuntG.R. and SalisburyJ.W., “Visible and near-infrared spectra of minerals and rocks: II. Carbonates”, Mod. Geol.2, 23 (1971).
52.
AkpokdjeE.G., “The occurrence of bassanite in some Australian arid-zone soils”Chem. Geol.47, 361 (1984)
53.
LagacherieP.BaretF.FeretJ.-B.NettoMadeira J. and Robbez-MassonJ.M., “Estimation of soil clay and calcium carbonate using laboratory, field and airborne hyperspectral measurements”, Remote Sens. Environ.112, 825 (2008). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2007.06.014
