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At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1980

Geologic application of thermal inertia imaging using HCMM data

The feasibility of using thermal inertia, inferred from remotely sensed temperature data, to complement LANDSAT reflectivity data for reconnaissance geologic mapping and mineral exploration is under investigation. The bulk of HCMM data tapes was received and processed, and a thermal inertia image of one data set was made. Additional areas of interest were identified on the HCMM photographic products and data tapes were ordered for these areas. During analysis of selected subareas, various sedimentary rock units were distinguished in the Death Valley, California test site and areas of altered rock were identified in the Cuprite/Goldifield, Nevada test site.

Paley, H. N.↗
NASA NTRS1980

The surface of Io - Geologic units, morphology, and tectonics

The geologic units, morphology and tectonics evident on a preliminary geological map obtained from best-resolution Voyager 1 images and a preliminary pictorial map of the surface of Io are discussed. Nine volcanic units are identified on the surface which are composed of mountain materials, intervent, layered and eroded layered plains, and wall and floor, pit crater flow, shield crater flow, fissure flow and crater cone units associated with volcanic vents, along with seven types of structural features. The cumulative volcanic crater size distribution of 170 Ionian vents with craters greater than 14 km is similar to that of impact craters on other solar system bodies, with a surplus of small craters and a preponderance of volcanic vents in the Io equatorial zone. The observed surface morphologies provide evidence for a mixture of silicates and sulfur as the dominant surface material. Lineaments and grabens are also apparent on the surface, in a common planetary grid pattern.

Schaber, G. G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Stereosat - A global digital stereo imaging mission

The objectives of the Stereosat mission are to obtain worldwide cloud-free stereo coverage at two base-height ratios and with a ground IFOV of 15 m; and to obtain stereo data in digital form that can be merged with monoscopic digital terrain models derived directly from the image data stream. This paper reviews Stereosat, with consideration given to the geological mapping requirements, digital data bases, the mission concept, system lifetime, instrument parameters, spacecraft parameters, and geometric accuracy.

Goetz, A. F. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Mars - Paleostratigraphic restoration of buried surfaces in Tharsis montes

Volcanism in the Tharsis province of Mars occurred in several different areas and was generally continuous without large time intervals between eruptive episodes. Major lava flow units are numerous and extensive, but relatively thin. In many places, impact craters on buried surfaces project above younger flows that overlie them. A new application of crater dating methods has been developed to aid in the identification of these buried surfaces and to determine their lateral extent. The technique is especially adaptable to the Tharsis region where the stratigraphic succession of major flow units has been established by detailed geologic mapping. Knowledge of the overall stratigraphy allows correlations to be made between known and unknown surfaces by comparing their crater frequencies at diameters large enough to insure their recognition on the buried unit. The method has been applied to aid in the restoration of buried rock units and to construct a series of paleostratigraphic maps showing the sequence of major eruptive events in the Tharsis region.

Scott, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Use of thermal-inertia properties for material identification

It is noted that a knowledge of the thermal inertia of the earth's surface can be used in geologic mapping as a complement to surface reflectance data as provided by Landsat. Thermal inertia, which is a body property, cannot be determined directly but can be inferred from radiation temperature measurements made at various times in the diurnal heating cycle, combined with a model of the surface heating processes. A model of this type is developed and applied along with temperature measurements made in the field and by satellite to determine thermal properties of surface materials. An example from a test site in western Nevada is used to demonstrate the utility of this technique.

Schieldge, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Reports of Planetary Geology Program, 1981

Abstracts of 205 reports from Principal investigators of NASA's Planetary Geology Program succinctly summarize work conducted and reflect the significant accomplishments. The entries are arranged under the following topics: (1) Saturnian satellites; (2) asteroids, comets and Galilean satellites; (3) cratering processes and landform development; (4) volcanic processes and landforms; (5) Aerolian processes and landforms; (6) fluvial, preglacial, and other processes of landform development; (7) Mars polar deposits, volatiles, and climate; (8) structure, tectonics, and stratigraphy; (9) remote sensing and regolith chemistry; (10) cartography and geologic mapping; and (11) special programs.

Holt, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Structure of the St. Francois Mountains and surrounding lead belt, S. E. Missouri: Inferences from thermal IR and other data sets

Day-IR, day-visible, and night-IR image data sets were analyzed. All three images were contrast enhanced, using a linear stretch. The night-IR image was destriped using a box-car filtering approach. Apparent thermal inertia images were generated from the data. The enhanced data and the apparent thermal inertia image were also registered and overlayed onto shaded relief images depicting topography and onto a colored version of the Missouri geologic map. The combination of the apparent thermal inertial image and the shaded relief map proved to have the greatest discriminability in terms of portraying linear features. The reason seems to be that the vegetation canopy on the Ozark Plateau is different topography, tend to emphasize subtle topographic effects.

Arvidson, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Mars Tharsis region - Volcanotectonic events in the stratigraphic record

It is pointed out that the most recent volcanism and much of the oldest tectonic activity on Mars have apparently occurred within the Tharsis region. Detailed geologic mapping from Viking images has provided new information on the evolutionary history of the region. The eruptive sequence and areal extent of lava flows in the Tharsis region have been defined by stratigraphic studies and crater counts made on individual flow units. Faults and fractures transecting these units provide a record of changing tectonic intensity during the period of high volcanic activity. Volcanism began with the resurfacing of basement rocks early in the history of the region and continued without large interruptions through nine major eruptive episodes. Volcanic centers shifted from place to place but resurgent activity occurred at several volcanoes. Volcanism culminated during the foration of large shield volcanoes along Tharsis Montes and thereafter appears to have gradually declined.

Scott, D. H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Landsat-D responsiveness to user community needs

Initial examinations of the Landsat-4 Multispectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper (IM) imagery indicate that these systems and the ground-based data processing systems are performing well. A combination of the spatial resolution of the multispectral scanner with the four band (0.5-0.6, 0.6-0.7, 0.7-0.8, and 0.8-1.1 microns) multispectral capability provides a useful observation technique for identifying crop type, phenological state of development, and a real condition assessment. Landsat multispectral scanner imagery has become more important in the search for new deposits of oil and mineral resources, and geological applications indicate that image analysis complements geological mapping techniques. Advantages of the TM include more precise measurements of the increased reflectance of vegetation in the green and near infrared. In addition, TM has improvement vegetation species differentiation, due to measurements made in new spectral bands. Preliminary TM data analysis reveals that systems have performed to optimum expectations.

Salomonson, V. V.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Discussion of the nature, origin and role of the intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon

The nature and origin of the intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon as determined through geologic mapping, crater statistics, and remotely sensed data are summarized. Implications of these results regarding scarp formation, absolute ages, and terrestrial planet surfaces are included. The role of the intercrater plains is defined and future work which might lead to a better understanding of these units and terrestrial planet evolution is outlined.

Leake, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Areal measurement of Mercury's first quadrant

Various linear and areal measurements of Mercury's first quadrant which were used in geological map preparation, map analysis, and statistical surveys of crater densities are discussed. Accuracy of each method rests on the determination of the scale of the photograph, i.e., the conversion factor between distances on the planet (in km) and distances on the photograph (in cm). Measurement errors arise due to uncertainty in Mercury's radius, poor resolution, poor coverage, high Sun angle illumination in the limb regions, planetary curvature, limited precision in measuring instruments, and inaccuracies in the printed map scales. Estimates are given for these errors.

Leake, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

The intercrater plains of Mercury and the Moon: Their nature, origin and role in terrestrial planet evolution. Estimated thickness of ejecta deposits compared to to crater rim heights

The area of the continuous ejecta deposits on mercury was calculated to vary from 2.24 to 0.64 times the crater's area for those of diameter 40 km to 300 km. Because crater boundaries on the geologic map include the detectable continuous ejecta blanket, plains exterior to these deposits must consist of farther-flung ejecta (of that or other craters), or volcanic deposits flooding the intervening areas. Ejecta models are explored.

Leake, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Reports of Planetary Geology Program, 1982

Work conducted in the Planetary Geology program is summarized. The following categories are presented: outer solar system satellites; asteroids and comets; Venus; cratering processes and landform development; volcanic processes and landforms; aolian processes and landforms; fluvial processes and landform development; periglacial and permafrost processes; structure, tectonics and stratigraphy; remote sensing and regolith studies; geologic mapping, cartography and geodesy.

Holt, H. E.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Evaluation of the user requirements processes for NASA terrestrial applications programs

To support the evolution of increasingly sound user requirements definition processes that would meet the broad range of NASA's terrestrial applications planning and management needs during the 1980's, the user requirements processes as they function in the real world at the senior and middle management levels were evaluated. Special attention was given to geologic mapping and domestic crop reporting to provide insight into problems associated with the development and management of user established conventional practices and data sources. An attempt was made to identify alternative NASA user interfaces that sustain strengths, alleviate weaknesses, maximize application to multiple problems, and simplify management cognizance. Some of the alternatives are outlined and evaluated. It is recommended that NASA have an identified organizational point of focus for consolidation and oversight of the user processes.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

Methodology of remote sensing data interpretation and geological applications

Elements of photointerpretation discussed include the analysis of photographic texture and structure as well as film tonality. The method used is based on conventional techniques developed for interpreting aerial black and white photographs. By defining the properties which characterize the form and individuality of dual images, homologous zones can be identified. Guy's logic method (1966) was adapted and used on functions of resolution, scale, and spectral characteristics of remotely sensed products. Applications of LANDSAT imagery are discussed for regional geological mapping, mineral exploration, hydrogeology, and geotechnical engineering in Brazil.

Parada, N. D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Study of LANDSAT-D thematic mapper performance as applied to hydrocarbon exploration

Improved delineation of known oil and gas fields in southern Ontario and a spectacularly high amount of structural information on the Owl Creek, Wyoming scene were obtained from analysis of TM data. The use of hue, saturation, and value image processing techniques on a Death Valley, California scene permitted direct comparison of TM processed imagery with existing 1:250,000 scale geological maps of the area and revealed small outcrops of Tertiary volcanic material overlying Paleozoic sections. Analysis of TM data over Lawton, Oklahoma suggests that the reducing chemical environment associated with hydrocarbon seepage change ferric iron to soluble ferrous iron, allowing it to be leached. Results of the band selection algorithm show a suprising consistency, with the 1,4,5 combination selected as optimal in most cases.

Everett, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A preliminary evaluation of LANDSAT-4 thematic mapper data for their geometric and radiometric accuracies

Some LANDSAT thematic mapper data collected over the eastern United States were analyzed for their whole scene geometric accuracy, band to band registration and radiometric accuracy. Band ratio images were created for a part of one scene in order to assess the capability of mapping geologic units with contrasting spectral properties. Systematic errors were found in the geometric accuracy of whole scenes, part of which were attributable to the film writing device used to record the images to film. Band to band registration showed that bands 1 through 4 were registered to within one pixel. Likewise, bands 5 and 7 also were registered to within one pixel. However, bands 5 and 7 were misregistered with bands 1 through 4 by 1 to 2 pixels. Band 6 was misregistered by 4 pixels to bands 1 through 4. Radiometric analysis indicated two kinds of banding, a modulo-16 stripping and an alternate light dark group of 16 scanlines. A color ratio composite image consisting of TM band ratios 3/4, 5/2, and 5/7 showed limonitic clay rich soils, limonitic clay poor soils, and nonlimonitic materials as distinctly different colors on the image.

Podwysocki, M. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Earth resources observation with the Shuttle imaging radar

To fully understand the radar signature of different surface features and covers, observations must be made in a variety of sensor parameters (that is, frequency, polarization, and incidence angle). This makes it possible to choose those sensor parameters that will provide the greatest amount of information about the surface. The Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) will be able to obtain surface images at two frequencies (L-band and C-band), at multiple polarizations, and at all incidence angles from near vertical to near grazing. The SIR will operate in the synthetic aperture imaging mode and provide digital images of the surfaces with a resolution of approximately 20 m. As part of the SIR flights, a number of planned large-scale experiments will be carried out in the fields of geologic mapping, vegetation classification, land cover mapping, surface moisture measurements, and ocean surface observation.

Elachi, C.↗