Hyperspectral analysis of rocky surfaces on the Earth and other planetary systems: Chapter 27

This book is focused on studies of vegetation on Earth using hyperspectral remote sensing methods. However, it is appropriate to extend the application of these methods out to other rocky bodies in our Solar System for a variety of reasons. First, minerals, soils, and rocks form the substrate on which vegetation grows on Earth. Compositional analyses of these components with hyperspectral data provide essential background information for distinguishing, identifying, and removing their effects on vegetation spectra. Second, variation in distribution, chemical and physical properties among soil and rock, has been demonstrated to have a significant effect on factors such as moisture retention, dust production, and the presence and distribution of biological species ranging from bacteria, fungi, grasses, shrubs, trees, and small mammals to humans [1]. These factors in turn can have profound influences on human health.