.
For Objective #1:
I reclassed all my 4 slides by determining the definition of porosity
using the histogram looking at the mean and adding or subtracting by 10
to 20 percent from the mean as my porosity level. After I have done
that I visually compared the original to the reclassifications images that
I have reclassified and I picked the best image that is similar to the
original slides. It is a very subjective exercise as a 10-20 percent
difference will affect the total number of porosity and non porosity pixels.
Depending on your reclassification number due to your pores definition,
the pores spaces will be affected dramatically. The numbers of active
porosity decreases as the soil layer decrease due to the solid compaction.
Back to 3.4 Results of Objective # 1
For Objective # 2:
From the slides, you will notice an increase with depth will increase
in the active porosity of the peat which is due to increase in compaction
at lower levels caused by the weight of the overlying plant material and
water trapped in the closed plant cells. However, slide four is a
different case. Usually as the depth increases, the soil is very
compact but in slide four near the bottom of the slide; it was not the
case due to the original compaction of the soil at the early stage did
not go through the natural process. Slides one to three went
through the natural process of compactions. The geometric mean pore
diameter should decrease as increase in depth.
Back to 3.5 Results of Java and Objective # 2
**Please note, I did three random horizontal transects one each slide and the amount of active porosity and geometric mean pore diameter is only a part of the whole slide image.**
I have limited Spatial Analysis as I focused on the "Objectives"
that was given to me by Professor Bill Quinton. He wanted a
program to automate his work. So, I used Idrisi to identify the pores
and non pores for objective #1 and to calculate the diameter of the pores
for objective # 2. Objective # 1 is a bit arbitrary for me as I am
not a Hydrology student & does not have much background in Hydrology
except the literature that Professor Bill Quinton gave me which is adequate.
I am sure if a Hydrology student was to use my method, he/she can enhanced
the definition of porosity and non porosity in soil. The challenging
part is Objective # 2, as Idrisi has limited commands to automate the diameters
of the pores and calculate all the pores per rows. I have emailed
Clark Labs to see if Idrisi can perform Objective # 2. Their
answer was to use QUERY and import it into Excel which is half the battle
as I still needed to automate the 1's in Excel. So, I went to Jasper
and asked him if there is a way at all to automate the porosity.
He advised me that we need to write a program to do that for us.
Thanks to Jasper knowledge, he had helped me solve the most challenging
part in this project. He install Java program in one of the SIS Labs
and wrote the program himself. He taught me how to command it so
that I can work on Objective # 2. He explained some terminology program
to me. Before "Java" program was install and created, I digitized
horizontal lines but it was so time consuming to do so and then open it
in Notepad then into Excel which will not count the geometric mean pore
diameter easily.