Remote sensing principally uses aerial photography, but LiDAR and other digital techniques are steadily gaining in popularity.
Today, a growing number of soil scientists bring a ruggedized tablet computer and GPS into the field with them.
The most current soil survey data is made available for high end GIS users such as professional consulting companies and universities.
A soil survey includes an important part of the information that is used to make workable plans for land management.
Predictions based on soil surveys serve as a basis for judgment about land use and management for areas ranging from small tracts to regions of several million acres.