Processing of Landsat 8 Imagery and Ground Gamma-Ray Spectrometry for Geologic Mapping and Dose-Rate Assessment, Wadi Diit along the Red Sea Coast, Egypt

Abstract

Maximum Likelihood (MLH) supervised classification of atmospherically corrected Landsat 8 imagery was applied successfully for delineating main geologic units with a good accuracy (about 90%) according to reliable ground truth areas, which reflected the ability of remote sensing data in mapping poorly-accessed and remote regions such as playa (Sabkha) environs, subdued topography and sand dunes. Ground gamma-ray spectrometric survey was to delineate radioactive anomalies within Quaternary sediments at Wadi Diit. The mean absorbed dose rate (D), annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) and external hazard index (Hex) were found to be within the average worldwide ranges. Therefore, Wadi Diit environment is said to be radiological hazard safe except at the black-sand lens whose absorbed dose rate of 100.77 nGy/h exceeds the world average. So, the inhabitants will receive a relatively high radioactive dose generated mainly by monazite and zircon minerals from black-sand lens.

Paradigm of Geological Mapping of the Adıyaman Fault Zone of Eastern Turkey Using Landsat 8 Remotely Sensed Data Coupled with PCA, ICA, and MNFA Techniques

“…J. Geo-Inf. 2021, 10, 368 2 of 13 images using remote sensing technique has greatly advanced in the differentiation of lithological units and deposits, tectonic elements, and other geological and topographical features (e.g., [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]). Satellite data such as the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+), ASTER, Landsat 8 (OLI), and Sentinel imagery provide information and clues that are very valuable in lithological and structural mapping.…”