Aerial and satellite imagery, combined with machine learning, could give large-scale soil carbon readings as robust as soil sampling.

New path to monitor soil carbon

An eye in the sky and machine-learning methods could be as accurate as old-fashioned soil testing

Just how much carbon is in the soil? That’s a tough question to answer at large spatial scales, but understanding soil organic carbon at regional, national or global scales could help scientists predict overall soil health, crop productivity and even worldwide carbon cycles. Classically, researchers collect soil samples in the field and haul them back