Estimates of surface roughness derived from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data

Radar remote sensing data provide a unique perspective on the Earth's crust and the processes that have influenced its evolution. Physically based models are required, however, to relate the geophysical quantities being measured by the radar sensor to useful geologic information. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data over the Cima volcanic field in the Mojave Desert of California are quantitatively connected with microtopography through inversion of a radar backscatter model. Changes in surface roughness inferred from the derived microtopography are modeled and found to be consistent with aeolian mantling as surfaces age. Estimated rates of aeolian deposition for the Cima area are compared to the Lunar Crater volcanic field in Nevada. Rates of deposition appear to be higher at Cima volcanic field, most likely because of its proximity to Soda Lake, the main source of the aeolian material. >

[1]  D. Evans,et al.  Radar polarimetry: analysis tools and applications , 1988 .

[2]  J. Bendat,et al.  Random Data: Analysis and Measurement Procedures , 1971 .

[3]  J. Muller,et al.  Measurement of surface microtopography , 1991 .

[4]  Ronald Greeley,et al.  Radar observations of basaltic lava flows, Craters of the Moon, Idaho , 1988 .

[5]  Tom G. Farr,et al.  Microtopographic evolution of lava flows at Cima volcanic field, Mojave Desert, California , 1992 .

[6]  T. Farr,et al.  Remote sensing data of SP mountain and SP lava flow in north-central Arizona , 1980 .

[7]  D. Evans,et al.  Imaging radar observations of Askja Caldera, Iceland , 1978 .

[8]  S. Wells,et al.  K-Ar dating of the Cima volcanic field, eastern Mojave Desert, California: Late Cenozoic volcanic history and landscape evolution , 1984 .

[9]  D. L. Turcotte,et al.  Fractal mapping of digitized images: Application to the topography of Arizona and comparisons with synthetic images , 1989 .

[10]  O. Chadwick,et al.  Soil-forming intervals caused by eolian sediment pulses in the Lahontan basin, northwestern Nevada , 1990 .

[11]  R. Sayles,et al.  Surface topography as a nonstationary random process , 1978, Nature.

[12]  T. Farr,et al.  Inference of surface power spectra from inversion of multifrequency polarimetric radar data , 1991 .

[13]  S. Wells,et al.  Influence of Late Quaternary Climatic Changes on Geomorphic and Pedogenic Processes on a Desert Piedmont, Eastern Mojave Desert, California , 1987, Quaternary Research.

[14]  H. Zebker,et al.  Imaging radar polarimetry from wave synthesis , 1986 .

[15]  S. Rice.  Reflection of electromagnetic waves from slightly rough surfaces , 1951 .

[16]  N. J. Trask,et al.  Geology of the Lunar Crater volcanic field, Nye County, Nevada , 1971 .

[17]  A Geological Interpretation of Seasat-Sar Imagery of Jamaica , 1984, The Journal of Geology.

[18]  L. Dellwig.  A geoscience evaluation of multifrequency radar imagery of the Pisgah Crater area, California , 1968 .

[19]  Stephen R. Brown,et al.  Broad bandwidth study of the topography of natural rock surfaces , 1985 .

[20]  J. Kutzbach,et al.  Simulation of the climate of 18,000 years BP: Results for the North American/North Atlantic/European sector and comparison with the geologic record of North America , 1985 .

[21]  Peter J. Mouginis-Mark,et al.  A quad-pol radar scattering model for use in remote sensing of lava flow morphology , 1989 .

[22]  Lisa R. Gaddis,et al.  Geologic analyses of Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-B) data of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii , 1989 .

[23]  J. Dohrenwend,et al.  Drainage development on basaltic lava flows, Cima volcanic field, southeast California, and Lunar Crater volcanic field, south-central Nevada , 1987 .

[24]  G. Taylor,et al.  Geological Assessment of SIR-B Imagery of the Amadeus Basin, N. T., Australia , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[25]  F. Sabins.  Geologic Interpretation of Space Shuttle Radar Images of Indonesia , 1983 .

[26]  J. Muller,et al.  Measurement Of Surface Microtopography Using Helicopter-mounted Stereo Film Cameras And Two Stereo Matching Techniques , 1989, 12th Canadian Symposium on Remote Sensing Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium,.

[27]  Ronald G. Blom,et al.  Radar Image Processing for Rock-Type Discrimination , 1982, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing.

[28]  Howard A. Zebker,et al.  Phase calibration of imaging radar polarimeter Stokes matrices , 1990 .

[29]  Diane L. Evans.  Multisensor classification of sedimentary rocks , 1988 .

[30]  S. Wells,et al.  Late Cenozoic landscape evolution on lava flow surfaces of the Cima volcanic field , 1985 .

[31]  D. Evans,et al.  Characterization of lava-flow degradation in the Pisgah and Cima volcanic fields, California, using Landsat Thematic Mapper and AIRSAR data , 1993 .

[32]  J. Zyl,et al.  Calibration of polarimetric radar images using only image parameters and trihedral corner reflector responses , 1990 .

[33]  H. Zebker,et al.  Imaging radar polarization signatures: Theory and observation , 1987 .

[34]  Walter E. Brown,et al.  Variations in surface roughness within Death Valley, California: Geologic evaluation of 25-cm-wavelength radar images , 1976 .