NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Lithologic discrimination of volcanic and sedimentary rocks by spectral examination of Landsat TM data from the Puma, Central Andes MountainsThe Central Andes are widely used as a modern example of noncollisional mountain-building processes. The Puna is a high plateau in the Chilean and Argentine Central Andes extending southward from the altiplano of Bolivia and Peru. Young tectonic and volcanic features are well exposed on the surface of the arid Puna, making them prime targets for the application of high-resolution space imagery such as Shuttle Imaging Radar B and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM). Two TM scene quadrants from this area are analyzed using interactive color image processing, examination, and automated classification algorithms. The large volumes of these high-resolution datasets require significantly different techniques than have been used previously for the interpretation of Landsat MSS data. Preliminary results include the determination of the radiance spectra of several volcanic and sedimentary rock units and the use of the spectra for automated classification. Structural interpretations have revealed several previously unknown folds in late Tertiary strata, and key zones have been targeted to be investigated in the field. The synoptic view of space imagery is already filling a critical gap between low-resolution geophysical data and traditional geologic field mapping in the reconnaissance study of poorly mapped mountain frontiers such as the Puna.
Document ID
19860063103
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Fielding, E. J.
(Cornell University Ithaca, NY, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1986
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Accession Number
86A47841
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASA TASK RE-185
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF EAR-81-21816
CONTRACT_GRANT: JPL-956926
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available