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NASA NTRS1985

International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, Third Thematic Conference: Remote Sensing for Exploration Geology, Colorado Springs, CO, April 16-19, 1984, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

A photogeologic and remote sensing model of porphyry type mineral sytems is considered along with a Landsat application to development of a tectonic model for hydrocarbon exploration of Devonian shales in west-central Virginia, remote sensing and the funnel philosophy, Landsat-based tectonic and metallogenic synthesis of the southwest United States, and an evolving paradigm for computer vision. Attention is given to the neotectonics of the Tibetan plateau deduced from Landsat MSS image interpretation, remote sensing in northern Arizona, the use of an airborne laser system for vegetation inventories and geobotanical prospecting, an evaluation of Thematic Mapper data for hydrocarbon exploration in low-relief basins, and an evaluation of the information content of high spectral resolution imagery. Other topics explored are related to a major source of new radar data for exploration research, the accuracy of geologic maps produced from Landsat data, and an approach for the geometric rectification of radar imagery.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1986

Geological applications of multipolarization SAR data

Spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired by SEASAT and the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A/B) operating at L-band with HH polarization were found to be useful in conjunction with other sensors for lithologic discrimination in arid environments with limited vegetation cover. In order to assess the utility of more advanced sensors for geologic research and define the unique contributions each sensor makes, remote sensing data were collected over the Deadman Butte area of the Wind River Basin, Wyoming. The Wind River Basin is an asymmetric sedimentary basin in central Wyoming created during the early Eocene Laramide orogeny. The stratigraphic section of the Deadman Butte study area, which was measured by Woodward is made up of Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine shales, siltstones, limestones, and sandstones. Sensor systems included LANDSAT 4 Thematic Mapper (TM), Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) and the Multipolarization, L-band airborne SAR, a prototype for the next Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-C). Sensor parameters are given.

Evans, Diane L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Discrimination of lithologic units using geobotanical and LANDSAT TM spectral data

Thematic Mapper (TM) spectral data were correlated with lithologic units, geobotanical forest associations, and geomorphic site parameters in the Ridge and Valley Province of Pennsylvania. Both the TM and forest association data can be divided into four groups based on their lithology (sandstone or shale) and geomorphic aspect (north or south facing). In this clastic sedimentary terrane, geobotanical associations are useful indicators of lithology and these different geobotanical associations are detectable in LANDSAT TM data.

Birnie, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Evaporation And Ignition Of Dense Fuel Sprays

Simple theoretical model makes useful predictions of trends. Pair of reports presents theoretical model of evaporation and ignition of sprayed liquid fuel. Developed as part of research in combustion of oil and liquid fuels derived from coal, tar sand, and shale in furnace. Work eventually contributes to increase efficiency of combustion and decrease pollution generated by burning of such fuels.

Bellan, Josette↗

NASA NTRS1988

The Kerala Khondalite Belt (KKB) of Southern India: An ensialic mobile belt

The Proterozoic Kerala Khondalite belt of the Southern Indian Shield is described, a belt dominated by granulite grade (750 C, 5 to 6 kbar) supracrustal rocks whose protoliths included arkoses and shales with cratonic provenances. Rare earth elements and other geochemical signatures suggest a granitic source for these metasediments, possibly the spatially associated charnockite massifs. The presence of intercalated mafic gneisses, interpreted as basalts, implies a cratonic rift basin rather than a foreland basin setting. It was argued that the Kerala, as well as other early Proterozoic mobile belts formed during abortive continental rifting without major additions of new crust.

Chacko, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1988

Changing styles of crustal growth in Southern Africa: Constraints from geochemical and Sr-Nd isotope studies in Archaean to Pan African terrains

Nd isotopic data was presented for southern Africa in support of episodic crustal growth. Over 50 percent of the continental crust there had formed before 2.5 Ga, and less than 10 percent was produced after about 1.0 Ga. The data imply a mean crustal age of about 2.4 Ga for southern Africa, and a higher rate of crustal growth than that derived from Australian shale data, particularly during the Proterozoic. Isotopic data from Damara metasediments imply that there is no need to invoke decoupling of the Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd systems in the continental crust.

Mcdermott, F.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Remote sensing of geobotanical associations in clastic sedimentary terrane

Landsat Thematic Mapper data have been used to map lithologic units in the heavily forested Ridge and Valley Province, Pennsylvania. This region provides an excellent study area because there is a north-south replication of lithologic units, each with varying slope, aspect, and geobotanical associations. Each of four possible combinations of lithology (sandstone and shale) and aspect (north and south) was found to support a unique forest association. In addition, each of the four lithologic/aspect units has a unique TM spectral signature. A maximum likelihood classification algorithm produced a map that correlates well with the known lithology of the study area. The first principal component of the TM data correlates highly with illumination. The second principal component of the TM data correlates highly with latitude and may reflect senescence changes in this fall scene.

Defeo, N. J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Rare earth elements in river waters

To characterize the input to the oceans of rare earth elements (REE) in the dissolved and the suspended loads of rivers, the REE concentrations were measured in samples of Amazon, Indus, Mississippi, Murray-Darling, and Ohio rivers and in samples of smaller rivers that had more distinct drainage basin lithology and water chemistry. It was found that, in the suspended loads of small rivers, the REE pattern was dependent on drainage basin geology, whereas the suspended loads in major rivers had relatively uniform REE patterns and were heavy-REE depleted relative to the North American Shale composite (NASC). The dissolved loads in the five major rivers had marked relative heavy-REE enrichments, relative to the NASC and the suspended material, with the (La/Yb)N ratio of about 0.4 (as compared with the ratio of about 1.9 in suspended loads).

Goldstein, Steven J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Search for Martian fossil communities: Science strategies, sediment sites, and sample handling

The strategy for locating and sampling possible fossilized Martian organisms benefits from our experience with fossil microbial ecosystems on Earth. Evidence of early life is typically preserved as stromatolites in carbonates and cherts, and as microfossils in cherts, carbonates and shales. Stromatolites, which are laminated flat or domal structures built by microbial communities, are very likely the oldest and most widespread relics of early life. These communities flourished in supratidal to subtidal coastal benthic environments, wherever sunlight was available and where incoming sediments were insufficient to bury the communities before they became established. A logical site for such communities on Mars might be those areas in an ancient lake bed which were furthest from sediment input, but were still sufficiently shallow to have received sunlight. Therefore, although some sites within Valles Marineris might have contained ponded water, the possibly abundant sediment inputs might have overwhelmed stromatolite-like communities. Localized depressions which acted as catchment basins for ancient branched valley systems might be superior sites. Perhaps such depressions received drainage which, because of the relatively modest water discharges implied for these streams, was relatively low in transported sediment. Multiple streams converging on a single basin might have been able to maintain a shallow water environment for extended periods of time.

Desmarais, David J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Examination of Martian sedimentary rocks to understand possible paleo-ocean and its age

It is well known that the terrestrial marine sediments have large cerium anomaly on their chondrite-normalized REE pattern. Siliceous shale and calcaleous sediments have negative Ce-anomaly. Ferromanganese nodule have positive or negative Ce-anomaly. The Ce-anomaly is considered to be a result of tetravalent state of cerium rather than common trivalent. Ferromanganese nodule which formed under reducing condition has negative Ce-anomaly. Then, combined study of Ce-anomaly with Ce isotopes is expected to play an important role in geochemistry. La-138 decays to Ce-138 and Ba-138 with a total half life of about 1 x 10 to the 11th years. Cerium anomalies (positive or negative) are expected in Martian paleo-ocean and in sediments as observed in the terrestrial environment. A list of things to be examined is given.

Tanaka, T.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The Kara and Ust-Kara impact structures (USSR) and their relevance to the K/T boundary event

The Kara and Ust-Kara craters are twin impact structures situated at about 69 deg 10 min N; 65 deg 00 min E at the Kara Sea. For Kara a diameter of about 55 km would be a very conservative estimate, and field observations indicate a maximum current diameter of about 60 km. The diameter of Ust-Kara has to be larger than 16 km. A better estimate might be 25 km but in all likelihood it is even larger. Suevites and impactites from the Kara area have been known since the beginning of the century, but had been misidentified as glacial deposits. Only about 15 years ago the impact origin of the two structures was demonstrated, following the recognition of shock metamorphism in the area. The composition of the target rocks is mirrored by the composition of the clasts within the suevites. In the southern part of Kara, Permian shales and limestones are sometimes accompanied by diabasic dykes, similar to in the central uplift. Due to the high degree of shock metamorphism the shocked magmatic rocks are not easily identified, although most of them seem to be of diabasic or dioritic composition. The impact melts (tagamites) are grey to dark grey fine grained crystallized rocks showing very fine mineral components and are the product of shock-melting with later recrystallization. The impact glasses show a layered structure, inclusions, and vesicles, and have colors ranging from translucent white over brown and grey to black. A complete geochemical characterization of the Kara and Ust-Kara impact craters was attempted by analyzing more than 40 samples of target rocks, shocked rocks, suevites, impact melts, and impact glasses for major and trace elements.

Koeberl, Christian↗

NASA NTRS1989

Mars Rover Sample Return: A sample collection and analysis strategy for exobiology

For reasons defined elsewhere it is reasonable to search for biological signatures, both chemical and morphological, of extinct life on Mars. Life on Earth requries the presence of liquid water, therefore, it is important to explore sites on Mars where standing bodies of water may have once existed. Outcrops of layered deposits within the Valles Marineris appear to be ancient lake beds. Because the outcrops are well exposed, relatively shallow core samples would be very informative. The most important biological signature to detect would be organics, microfossils, or larger stromato-like structures, although the presence of cherts, carbonates, clays, and shales would be significant. In spite of the limitations of current robotics and pattern recognition, and the limitations of rover power, computation, Earth communication bandwidth, and time delays, a partial scenario was developed to implement such a scientific investigation. The rover instrumentation and the procedures and decisions and IR spectrometer are described in detail. Preliminary results from a collaborative effort are described, which indicate the rover will be able to autonomously detect stratification, and hence will ease the interpretation burden and lead to greater scientific productivity during the rover's lifetime.

Sims, M. H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Geobotanical determination of aggregate source material using Airborne Thematic Mapper imagery

The possible use of vegetation to discriminate parent materials for suitability as aggregate source material is examined. Airborne Thematic Mapper data of two test sites representing potential alluvial and residual source areas in central California were analyzed. It is found that the most useful images were composites that included principal components bands and a Perpendicular Vegetation Index band. The image processing demarcated species compositional differences which characterized a shale site and revealed differences in an alluvial site caused by moisture stress due to aggregate size and sorting.

Minor, Timothy↗

NASA NTRS1989

Iridium in the Vredefort Bronzite Granophyre - Impact melting and limits on a possible extraterrestrial component

The Bronzite Granophyre was analyzed for Ir and other elements to examine whether its origin was due to impact melting or conventional igneous assimilation and to search for a possible extraterrestrial component in the melt. No such component is identified. Ir values range from 50-130 pg/g, equivalent to less than 0.05 percent C1 material. Further evidence against an extraterrestrial source of siderophiles are the low Ir/Au ratios and the absence of systematic correlations between Ir and other elements. However, the Granophyre is significantly enriched in Ir over other Vredefort granitic rocks, implying a fundamental difference between them. Geochemical mixing models indicate that the Ir observed in the Granophyre can be supplied from high-Ir local shales and quartzites during an impact melting event. The results are consistent with the view that the Granophyre is an impact melt and that Vredefort is an impact structure.

French, B. M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Origins of etioporphyrins in sediments - Evidence from stable carbon isotopes

In samples of the Julia Creek and Condor oil shales (Australia, Albian, and early Tertiary, respectively) etioporphyrin III is significantly depleted in C-13 (4 per mil) relative to porphyrins derived from chlorophylls. This isotopic difference suggests a large contribution from some independent source. The haem group found in cytochromes derived from microbial sources is the most likely candidate.

Boreham, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS1989

An isotopic study of biogeochemical relationships between carbonates and organic carbon in the Greenhorn Formation

Carbon-isotopic compositions of total carbonate, inoceramid carbonate, micritic carbonate, secondary cements, total organic carbon, and geoporphyrins have been measured in 76 different beds within a 17-m interval of a core through the Greenhorn Formation, an interbedded limestone and calcareous shale unit of Cretaceous age from the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Results are considered in terms of variations in the processes of primary production and in secondary processes. It is shown that the porphyrin isotopic record reflects primary isotopic variations more closely than the TOC isotopic record and that, in these sediments, TOC is enriched in C-13 relative to its primary precursor by 0.6 to 2.8 percent. This enrichment is attributed to isotope effects within the consumer foodweb and is associated with respiratory heterotrophy. Variation in this secondary enrichment are correlated with variations in the isotopic composition of marine carbonate.

Hayes, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

The observation of spectral variation indicative of porphyrin biomarkers in reflectance spectra of source rock - The application of remote sensing technology to petroleum geochemistry

The spectral signature of porphyrin compounds, considered to be biomarkers of depositional environment and thermal maturity, have been identified in reflectance spectra of oil shales. The key bands identified, in order of intensity, are the Soret (0.40 microns), alpha (0.57 microns), and beta (0.53 microns) bands. The observed bands represent the composite spectral signature of all porphyrin compounds present in the sample and, therefore, change position and intensity in accordance with changes in porphyrin chemistry.

Holden, Peter Newhall↗

NASA NTRS1991

Gravity survey of the Mt. Toondina impact structure, South Australia

The Mt. Toondina impact structure is located in northern South Australia, about 45 km south of the town of Oodnadatta. Only the central uplift is exposed. The outcrops at Mt. Toondina reveal a remarkable structural anomaly surrounded by a broad expanse of nearly flat-lying beds of the Bulldog Shale of Early Cretaceous age. A gravity survey was undertaken in 1989 to determine the diameter of the impact structure, define the form of the central uplift, and understand the local crustal structure. Data were collected along two orthogonal lines across the structure. In addition to the profiles, a significant number of measurements were made on and around the central uplift. The 1989 gravity data combined with 1963 gravity data and the seismic reflection data provide an excellent data base to interpret the subsurface structure of the Mt. Toondina feature.

Plescia, J. B.↗