QUATERNARY FAULT MAP AND SPATIAL DATA FOR AFGHANISTAN: DISTRIBUTING DATA AND CREATING MASHUPS

We used Landsat 7 satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital data to complete an inventory of probable and possible active faults in Afghanistan. The resulting map, spatial data, and metadata are available on-line at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1103. The spatial data for the faults are in shapefile format and include attributes for geomorphic expression, sense of movement, length, strike, and relative slip rate category. The shapefile can be downloaded and incorporated into active fault investigations of larger regions (e.g., active faulting across the Trans-Himalayan orogenic belt and seismic hazards of the Indo-Eurasian region). The map, spatial data, and metadata provide the basis for future field-based investigations where the accuracy and credibility of our remote-sensing efforts can be checked. In addition to the shapefiles and related metadata, we have created static kml files which can be readily used in such programs as Google Earth for further investigation and educational purposes. For municipal and national planning, the kml files provide a means to accurately locate active faults in proximity to population centers and at-risk infrastructure.

We have also begun to explore new methods of data distribution for research and education purposes. Using ArcGIS Server, we have created map services and dynamic kml services of the fault data that can be used to create map mashups. Map mashups result from integration of geospatial data services from multiple sources, such as Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth, as well as internal geospatial data such as preliminary geologic mapping. A map mashup of the imagery provided by Google Earth with the fault data creates an exceptional tool for educational purposes. Geomorphic expression and landform analyses within actively deforming regions can be brilliantly displayed and presented for further morphometric analyses (e.g., width of fold and thrust belts, length of pressure ridges, and complexity of fault zones).