We collected in-situ VisNIR spectra using a penetrometer-mounted VisNIR probe.
We used orthogonal projection to remove effects of water from in situ spectra.
Partial least squares models for clay content were calibrated using air-dry soils.
Projection allowed air-dry models to predict clay content for field-moist spectra.
The penetrometer-mounted VisNIR measured clay content profiles at high-depth-resolution