Eolian dynamics and sediment mixing in the Gran Desierto, Mexico, determined from thermal infrared spectroscopy and remote-sensing data

Multi- and hyperspectral geologic remote sensing: A review

“…A new application of ASTER data is related to mapping the mineralogic composition of dune fields (Scheidt et al, 2011). By means of a spatial interpolation of sample compositions, visual interpretation of image data revealed sand transport pathways and gradients of composition between the dune field and surrounding local sources.…”

Owens Lake dune fields: Composition, sources of sand, and transport pathways

“…The dynamics of these systems are controlled by the supply of sand-sized sediment, the availability of this sediment for transport by the wind, and the transport capacity of the wind (Kocurek and Lancaster, 1999). Identifying and characterizing the components of such systems can be challenging, but analysis of the mineral and chemical composition of aeolian sands, as well as those from potential fluvial, alluvial, or lacustrine sources can provide valuable information on sand sources and transport pathways, as demonstrated for dune fields on the Great Plains (Muhs et al, 1996), the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts (Muhs et al, 2003;Scheidt et al, 2011), as well as Namibia and the Arabian Peninsula (Garzanti et al, 2012(Garzanti et al, , 2013. The results of such analyses can also be used to constrain the conditions in which dune construction occurred (e.g.…”

Satellite-Based Thermophysical Analysis of Volcaniclastic Deposits: A Terrestrial Analog for Mantled Lava Flows on Mars

“…The SWIR data are no longer acquired, however, due to a failed detector cooling system. The spectral range and moderately high spatial resolution of the VNIR and TIR allow a variety of surface materials to be distinguished and a better understanding of compositional mixing within a given pixel or region of pixels [10,25]. Relative apparent thermal inertia image of North Coulee (outlined in black) derived from 10 July 2011 ASTER data (created by Ramsey and Crown, 2010) [4].…”

“…Mantling in these locations may arise from a recent eruption, with the direction and thickness of the tephra fall deposits indicating the magnitude of the eruption and wind direction at the time, whereas the composition of the pyroclastic material reveals information about any evolution of the eruption or magmatic center over time. Analysis of the composition of active dunes can also relay similar information about the underlying substrate as well as the paleo-environmental conditions that produced the dunes [8][9][10].…”

“…This behavior motivated the objective of the current study, which is to assess the applicability of using a thermophysical analysis approach to determine the presence and degree of mantling on these flows by first validating it on an Earth analog site. Although deriving information from mantled surfaces using TIR data is difficult, orbital thermophysical measurements have been used to approximate the thickness of such deposits overlying bedrock layers on Mars and Earth [9,10,20]. Furthermore, locating specific bedrock regions within mantled flows that either protrude through the fine-grained covering or are only thinly-mantled is one possible approach that could be used to determine the composition of those regions [4,17,18].…”