2007 GSA Denver Annual Meeting (28–31 October 2007)

Paper No. 7
Presentation Time: 3:25 PM

MAPPING EXPOSED AND BURIED LAVA FLOWS USING SYNTHETIC APERTURE AND GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR IN CRATERS OF THE MOON LAVA FIELD


KHAN, Shuhab1, HEGGY, Essam2 and FERNANDEZ, Jaime1, (1)Department of Geosciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, (2)Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058–1113, Shuhab.khan@mail.uh.edu

The Craters of the Moon (COM) lava field in central Idaho has a multiple eruptive history. Burial of older flows by younger eruptive events has resulted in complex surface geomorphology and subsurface stratigraphy. For the older eruptive periods, the locations of source vents and the extension of lava flows are either speculative or unknown, as they are buried under earlier pyroclastistics. In this study, we used surface and subsurface backscatter characteristics of the P- and L-band polarimetric Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR) data and Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) soundings to resolve different exposed and buried lava flows. Our primary objective is to define the most effective polarization and frequency for mapping, resolving, and characterizing different lava types in the volcanic field. Polarimetric analysis of AIRSAR images from COM allows a clear recognition of the aa' and pahoehoe lava types as a result of the variability in their roughness. Our results suggest that the HV cross-polarized, AIRSAR L band is capable of producing a detailed map delineating surface lava with different surface backscattering properties. An accuracy assessment utilizing the geological map of the Inferno Cone area and in situ observations showed a significant reliability of differentiating lava types and mapping the lava flows extension below loose pyroclastics using AIRSAR data. The P-band, results suggest a constrained ability for mapping buried structures up to 3 meters deep under loose and dry cinder and ash deposits, resolving buried fissures, outcrops, and lava flows that were validated with ground-truth GPR surveys. Investigating subsurface stratigraphy with remote sensing and GPR techniques can be applied in other arid locations on Earth and other planets. Analyzing the radar backscattering penetration depth at higher frequencies is valuable for future planetary subsurface exploration missions for telluric planets.