Analysis of simulated advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection (ASTER) radiometer data of the Iron Hill, Colorado, study area for mapping lithologies

Abstract

Abstract. The advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection (ASTER) radiometer was designed to record reflected energy in nine channels with 15 or 30 m resolution, including stereoscopic images, and emitted energy in five channels with 90 m resolution from the NASA Earth Observing System AM1 platform. A simulated ASTER data set was produced for the Iron Hill, Colorado, study area by resampling calibrated, registered airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, and thermal infrared multispectral scanner (TIMS) data to the appropriate spatial and spectral parameters. A digital elevation model was obtained to simulate ASTER-derived topographic data. The main lithologic units in the area are granitic rocks and felsite into which a carbonatite stock and associated alkalic igneous rocks were intruded; these rocks are locally covered by Jurassic sandstone, Tertiary rhyolitic tuff, and colluvial deposits. IntroductionThe advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection (ASTER) radiometer is a 14-channel imaging system which is to be launched during 1999 onboard the Earth Observing System (EOS) AM1 platform. ASTER will be capable of measuring reflected solar radiation in nine channels, which have 15 or 30 m spatial resolution, and emitted energy in five channels with 90 m resolution (Table 1). These spectral and spatial characteristics should permit considerable improvement in lithologic identification and mapping capabilities beyond those of the current Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM), and in greater spatial detail than will be possible using other EOS imaging systems. In addition, ASTER will record 15-m resolution stereoscopic images using a nadir-viewing and backward viewing channel, which will be useful for geomorphological studies and will provide a basis for compiling digital elevation models. This paper is not subject to U.S. copyright. Published in 1998 by the American Geophysical Union.Paper number 98JD02118. ASTER will present new data processing and analysis challenges, because images with these spectral and spatial characteristics have not been previously available. The capability to provide coregistered spectral reflectivity and spectral emissivity measurements will be especially important for determining lithologic composition. To develop analytical and interpretation procedures ASTER images of the Iron Hill study area were simulated using airborne visible/infrared imaging spectrometer (AVIRIS) and thermal infrared multispectral scanner (TIMS) data sets. Stereoscopic AVIRIS images of the study area are not available, so a digital elevation model was obtained from the EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to provide topographic information. The purpose of this paper is to describe the procedures used to produce a simulated ASTER data set of the Iron Hill, Colorado, study area (Plate 1) and to examine several procedures for mapping lithologies in the area remotely. The geologic setting, vegetation cover, and topographic relief of the Iron Hill area contrast markedly with those o...

The application of advanced space-borne thermal emission and reflection (ASTER) radiometer data in the detection of alteration in the Chadormalu paleocrater, Bafq region, Central Iran

“…Although this approach produces colorful pictures, it is not straightforward in relating the display color to the emissivity spectra. The sixth step is to carry out a forward minimum noise fraction (FMNF) transform, both on the resultant De-correlation stretched images from FCCs of TIR bands, and also on the resultant FCCs from SWIR bands, to remove noise from the image (Green et al, 1988;Rowan, 1998;Ferrier et al, 2002;Rowan and Mars, 2003). The FMNF procedure is similar to principal component analysis (PCA).…”

“…According to Green and Huntington (1989), Ferrier et al (2002), Rowan (1998) and Rowan and Mars (2003), the wavelength positions, reflectance and depth and number of absorption features allow the identification of a number of diagnostic minerals present, and hence provide the basis for mapping alteration zonation; sharp fluctuations in reflectance and radiance spectral curves were used. Then, the best ASTER bands were selected for each mineral.…”

ASTER spectral analysis and lithologic mapping of the Khanneshin carbonatite volcano, Afghanistan

“…2; Alkhazov et al, 1978). In addition, interpretation of the images is based on previous documentation of the spectral refl ectance and spectral emittance of carbonatites and associated alkalic rocks collected from other sites such as Mountain Pass, California and Iron Hill, Colorado Rowan, 1997;Rowan, 1998;Rowan et al, 1984;Rowan et al, 1986;Rowan et al, 1995;Watson et al, 1996).…”