The Attenuation of Retroreflective Signatures on Surface Soils

Abstract Soil parameters such as water potential, temperature, organic matter ( om ), and particle size distribution influence biological activity and collectively define the state of soils, yet these properties are typically described through time-intensive, ground-based sampling efforts. To improve our understanding of soils through stand-off sensing techniques, Light Detection and Ranging was used to monitor the signature of retroreflective beads embedded in polymeric agents on four soils. Our goal was to generate probability density functions (PDFs) for stochastic predictions of the persistence of this signature through time. Our findings showed that the PDFs of the reflected signal between target and background soils became nearly indistinguishable after five months and that OM, nitrogen content, cation exchange capacity, and pH related to signature decline. This approach, while developed using polymer-bound retroreflectors, will serve as a framework where a signature-emitter is left in or on soil and differentially influenced by terrain, weather, and soil processes.