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Detectability of geothermal areas using Skylab X-5 dataThe results are presented of a study which was undertaken to determine if data from a single near-noon pass of Skylab could be used to detect geothermal areas. The size and temperature requirements for a geothermally heated area to be seen by Skylab S-192 MSS X-5 thermal sensor were calculated. This sensor obtained thermal data with the highest spatial resolution of any nonmilitary satellite system. Only very large hot areas could be expected to be unambiguously recognized with a single data set from this instrument. The study area chosen was The Geysers geothermal field in Sonoma County, California, the only geothermal area of significant size scanned by Skylab. Unfortunately, 95% of the Skylab thermal channel data was acquired within 3 hours of local noon. For The Geysers area only daytime X-5 data were available. An analysis of the thermal channel data (10.2 to 12.5 um) revealed that ground temperatures determined by Skylab were normally distributed. No anomalous hot spots were apparent. Computer enhancement techniques were used to delineate the hottest 100 and 300 ground areas (pixel, 75 m by 75 m) within the study region. It was found that the Skylab MSS with the X-5 thermal detector does not have sufficient spatial resolution to locate unambiguously from daytime data any but the largest and hottest convectively created geothermal features, which in general are prominent enough to have been previously recognized.
Document ID
19760010416
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Other
Authors
Siegal, B. S.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kahle, A. B.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Goetz, A. F. H.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Gillespie, A. R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Abrams, M. J.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1975
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center NASA Earth Resources Surv. Symp., Vol. 1-B
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Report/Patent Number
G-3
Accession Number
76N17504
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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