Airphoto Interpretation of Flood Plain Soils

Urban planners and developers are giving increasing emphasis to the problems of land use on flood plains. In order to plan effectively for land use on flood plains, both the distribution of soil types on the flood plain and the flood frequency must be known. The use of aerial photographic interpretation techniques to estimate flood plain soil conditions is described. New techniques of airborne remote sensing can also prove useful in flood plain soil studies. Imaging sensors such as infrared photography, color photography, infrared imagery, and side-looking airborne radar, as well as a number of nonimaging sensors, are described. In order to plan successfully for land use on flood plains, all available planning tools must be utilized. Planners and developers should be aware that much valuable information about flood plain soils can be obtained through aerial photographic interpretation studies.