Identifying geomorphic features using LANDSAT-5/TM data processing techniques on Lesvos, Greece

In order to delineate the geomorphic features of the island of Lesvos, Greece, fieldwork and digital satellite (LANDSAT-5/TM) data analysis were combined. The main image analysis techniques involved in this study were (1) principal component analysis (PCA) and (2) false color composite (FCC). These techniques led to the creation of enhanced satellite images with respect to the topographic and geomorphologic characteristics of the island. The final digitally enhanced LANDSAT-5/TM images have been used to interpret and map the geomorphic features of Lesvos. Ground-truthing of image data led to the identification of the following geomorphic units: dissected metamorphic terrains, lava plateaus, colluvial foothills, alluvial plains (including coastal and fluvial), and eroded regions underlain by ignimbrite and welded tuff. Lineaments detected in this study were coincident with: (1) mapped contacts or faults, (2) extensions of previously mapped faults or (3) previously undetected geologic features including faults, tectonic contacts or formational contacts.