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AIRSAR Data for Geological and Geomorphological Mapping in the Great Sandy Desert and Pilbara Regions of Western AustraliaEnhancements of AIRSAR data have demonstrated the benefits of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for revealing an additional and mich higher level of information about the composition of the terrain than enhancements f either SPOT-PAN or Landsat TM data. With appropriate image processing techniques, surface and near surface geological structures, hydrological systems (both current and ancient) and landform features, have been evidenced in a diverse range of landscapes. In the Great Sandy Desert region where spectral variability is minimal, radar's sensitivity to the micromorphology of sparse exposures of subcrop and lag gravels has provided a new insight into the region's geological framework, its landforms, and their evolution. In the Pilbara region, advanced processing of AIRSAR data to unmix the backscatter between and within the three frequencies of data has highlighted subsurface extensions of greenstone lithologies below sand cover and morphological evidence of past flow conditions under former climate regimes. On the basis of these observations, it is recommend that radar remote sensing technology involving the use of high resolution, polarimetric data be seriously considered as a viable tool for exploration in erosional and depositional environments located within Australia's mineral and oil-prospective provinces.
Document ID
19970010783
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Tapley, Ian J.
(Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Wembley, Australia)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
March 4, 1996
Publication Information
Publication: Summaries of the Sixth Annual JPL Airborne Earth Science Workshop March 4-8, 1996
Volume: 2
Subject Category
Earth Resources And Remote Sensing
Accession Number
97N15933
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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