Spectrophotometry
Definition
Instrumental measurement of reflectance at each wavelength across the visible spectrum, producing a numerical colour profile. Results can be expressed in CIE Lab space or converted to Munsell notation, removing the observer-comparison step entirely.
Related terms
- Chroma
- The saturation or colourfulness of the hue, from 0 (neutral grey) outward in whole-number steps. Strongly weathered, iron-oxide-rich soils have high chroma;...
- Hue
- The dominant wavelength family of a colour, expressed as a position on the Munsell colour wheel. Soil hues run from 10R (red)...
- Inter-observer variability
- The tendency of different trained examiners to assign slightly different Munsell codes to the same sample. Research has shown this can span...
- Munsell Soil Colour Chart
- A physical book of matt colour chips arranged by hue, value, and chroma, published by X-Rite/Munsell Color. The analyst holds a chip...
- Value
- The lightness dimension of the Munsell system, scaled from 0 (theoretical black) to 10 (theoretical white). High-organic soils tend to have low...
Explained in
- Soil Colour and Munsell NotationInstrumental measurement of reflectance at each wavelength across the visible spectrum, producing a numerical colour profile. Results can be expressed in CIE L...