Material to support Geo-science

Module

(1)

REMOTE SENSING FOR

GEOLOGY

REMOTE SENSING FOR

GEOLOGY
Material to support Geo-science Module (1)
by:
Sutikno
Faculty of Geography
Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta

WHAT IS REMOTE SENSING IN GEOLOGY AND

WHAT TYPE OF REMOTE SENSING IMAGES
ARE USUALLY USED

1. REMOTE SENSING IN GEOLOGY:

2.

APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING FOR

OBTAINING GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION OR
DATA ON: stratigraphy, lithology and geologic
structure.

REMOTE SENSING IMAGE FOR GEOLOGICAL

INVESTIGATION:

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
LANDSAT
SPOT
RADAR
THERMAL INFRA RED

REMOTE
SENSING
REMOTE SENSING

GEOLOGY

REMOTE SENSING
IN GEOLOGY

GEOLOGIC
RESOURCES

GEOLOGIC
HAZARD

MINERAL & ROCKS

MASS MOVEMENT

WATER

VOLCANIC ERUPTION

ENERGY

EARTHQUAKE

LANDFORMS

FLOOD

WHAT IS THE AIM AND THE STATUS OF THE

GEOLOGICAL REMOTE SENSING IMAGE
INTERPRETATION

1. The aim is to obtain lithologic,

stratigraphy and geological structure
2. The status:

is not as an alternative of field geology;

fieldwork always carried out to check the
result of the image interpretation;
the results of the image interpretation are
supposed similar with data from other
sources.

ARE THERE ANY IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS

FOR INTERPRETATION PURPOSES

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Tone
Texture
Pattern
Shape/form
Site
Association
Shadow

Pattern

WHAT KINDS OF GEOLOGICAL

INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED FROM
RS IMAGES
1. Topographic pattern
2. Drainage pattern
3. Landform units
4. Lithogical/rocks units
5. Geological structures
6. Mineral deposits location
7. Susceptible area for erosion, massmovement, earthquake, volcanic.

Significance of Drainage Pattern

Pattern

Characteristics

Significance

Dendritic

Irregular branching of
stream, leaf appearance

Develops in flat areas of uniform

compositions with little or no
structural control: sedimentary
rocks near horizontal, intrusive
rocks; strongly metamorphosed
rocks.

Trellis

Sub parallel streams, along

nearly parallel topography
features with short
perpendicular
interconnected channels

Most likely develop in areas of

sedimentary rocks with marked
structural control due to
alternating resistant and less
resistant beds.

Rectangular

Abrupt right-angle
deflection of stream
directions.

May indicate structural control of

intrusive igneous rocks or tilted
sedimentary rocks.

Radial

Streams diverge from a

centrally elevated point.

Develop on dome, volcanic cones,

and other type of isolated conical
or subconical hills.

HOW TO IDENTIFY AND INTERPRETATION OF

GEOLOGICAL DATA FROM RS IMAGES
1.

Using element for geological interpretation:

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

2.

Outcrop features and distribution

Structure in detail
Landform
Drainage pattern
Vegetation
Cultural features

Using factors for geological features identification:

a.
b.
c.

Form; for lithology and structure identification

Asymmetrical slope: to determine the dip slope of the
beds
Drainage: to recognize the density and pattern.Drainage
density is associate to rock resistance and permeability.
Drainage pattern is important for lithological and
structural interpretation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF DRAINAGE SYSTEM IN

GEOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Integration
Density or spaciation
Homogeneity
Orientation and control
Pattern

HOW TO INTERPRETATE THE LITHOLOGY

1. Lithological units are easily to identify from
remote sensing image (especially aerial
photograph):
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Sandstone
Shale stone
Limestone
A certain igneous and metamorphic rocks
Unconsolidated material, such as: sand, gravel,
clay
Intercalation resistance and non resistance rocks

2. Sedimentary rocks can be identify and

classified based on:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Texture
Mineral composition
Color
Porosity
Permeability
Drainage density
Drainage pattern (fig.1)

Three types of
sedimentary rocks

limestone

Arenaceous
limestone

Clay limestone
Water soluble

Subsurface drainage

Sinkhole
Calcareous
sandstone
Internal drainage

External drainage

Wide spaced
pattern

sandstone

Argillaceous sandstone

Calcareous shale,
marl

Closed spaced
pattern

Arenaceous shale

shale

CARBONATE
Fig. Image/photo
characteristic of
sedimentary rocks

Resistant/
nonresistant,
soluble, karstification,
internal and external
drainage,jointing; light to
medium photo tone

Intermediate
lithologies with
mixed
characteristics

Resistant,
porous,
permeable
depend on cement and
matrix, internal drainage,
low density; frequent joint
system; light or light to
medium photo tone

COARSE GRAINED CLASTICS

Low
resistant
insoluble
Impervious, external
drainage, high density,
dark to medium photo
tone

FINE GRAINED CLASTICS

IDENTIFICATION OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

FROM IMAGE/AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH
Coarse clastic
Fine clastic:
sediment:
sediment:clay,
breccia,conglomerate shale, siltstone
sandstone

Carbonate:
limestone and
dolomite, marls

Resistant, depend on
cementation

Low permeability
and non resistant

In arid resistant, in
humid soluble

Form: cuesta, hogbag,

mesa

In humid: low hill

with rounded topo.

Karst topography

As key horizon for

structural analysis

Impervious, external
drainage

Sink hole and doline

dominant

Joint system well develop

Joint system not

develop

Joint frequent,
longitudinal belt of dark
tone/color

Drainage: low-medium
density

Drainage: high
density

Low drainage density

Drainage pattern:
dendritic, trellis

Dendritic drainage
pattern

Partly: underground

Tone: light to medium

Gray to dark tone

Light to dark photo tone

Example of sedimentary from aerial photograph

Sedimentary rocks and structural features

 Limestone

A: volcanic deposit

B: fluvial deposit
B

C: volcanic breccia
D: limestone

E: coastal sand
D

A
A

A: fluvial deposit (swampy)

B: fluvial deposit (swale)
C: sandy (beach ridges)
B

IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF IGNEOUS

ROCKS
1.

Based on mineral composition:

2.

Extrusive rocks:

3.

Acidic: light photo tone

Intermediate: light to medium photo tone
Basic: dark to dark photo tone
Associate with volcanic landform
Porosity and permeability: high
External drainage
Basic lava: shield volcano, joint are predominate
Acidic lava: bocca, spatter cone, lava blister
Intermediate lava: strato volcano

Intrusive rocks:

Homogeny
Topography hummocky (humid) and sharp (arid)
Joint: frequent
Drainage pattern with low density.

IMAGE CHARACTERISTICS OF
METAMORPHIC ROCK
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Massive topography, stratigraphy not clearly appear

Permeability is low; drainage density high to medium;
drainage pattern: dendritic, trellis or parallel.
Quartzite: resistant, massive topography, low permeability,
dendritic, trellis; gray photo tone
Marble: in arid and semi arid resistant, in humid similar to
limestone
Slates: low resistant, high drainage density, dendritic; dark to
medium gray
Gneiss: resistant, massive topography, low
permeability,dendritic, trellis; gray photo tone

GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE IMAGE

INTERPRETATION
1. FLAT-LAYING BEDS:

Contrasting tone of different sedimentary rocks

Break of slope along the contour
Dendritic drainage pattern

2. DIPPING BEDS (FOLDS)

Topographic surfaces coincide with bedding surface

Asymetrical slope can be used to determine the
direction of the dip
Pattern of outcrop on valley can be used to determine
the direction of the dip
Major stream usually flow parallel to the strike of the
stratified beds.

3. JOINTS

Linear features/lineaments, thin rather than short, in regular

direction
Intersecting joint approximately at right angles (vertically, dipping)
give a blocky pattern of the topography.
In fine grained clastic rocks joint are generally more closely
spaced

4. FAULTS

Linear features/lineament
Triangle facet
Alignment of vegetation, straight of river/stream
segment, alignment of lakes, ponds and springs
Changes of tone, drainage and erotional features on
opposite of linear features
Alignment of topography.

WHAT IS THE CONTENT OF THE PRELIMINARY

GEOLOGICAL MAP RESULTING FROM RS IMAGE
INTERPRETATION
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Lithological units: may composed of single rock or

group of rocks FORMATION
Geologic structures indicators: dip slope, bedding
plane
Continue or discontinue of the bed layers
Indicators of fault and unconformity
Landform units
Drainage pattern, can be used to identify the lithology
and structure
Control point, important location, ground control

PRACTICAL EXERCISES
1. Material: aerial photograph, Landsat
2. Procedure:

Draw drainage pattern, road

Delineate lithology based on: relief, drainage density,
topographic expression, landform, land cover or land
use
Identification of geologic structure, dip, dip slope
Draw the preliminary structure
Fill the image characteristics on the interpretation table
Draw preliminary photo geological/image geological
map
Determine the sample areas

3. Field check

GROUP PRACTICAL EXERCISES

1.
2.

Geological interpretation from aerial photographs and Landsat of

certain area.
Draw preliminary geological map:

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Drainage pattern
Lithological unit
Structural features;
Morphological features
Road
Area, point samples

Field check
Reinterpretation
Final map (photo-geological map/remote sensing geological map)
Evaluation of natural resources based on the geological condition.
Report

LITHOLOGIC MAPPING FROM IMAGES

1. Lithologic mapping from images:

analysis and interpretation of the spectral and spatial

information within the images
expressed by:

landform development,
drainage pattern
drainage density
vegetation difference
spectral reflectivity

context of climatic effects

Spectral Reflectivity
1)
2)
3)

measure of the amount of light reflected by material

express by photographic tone or color
related to chemistry and structure of material, modified
by environmental factors and physical condition of
material.

Diagnostic criterion for lithologic discrimination

Spectral variation of rocks

(in visible and near-infrared spectrum)
1) In igneous rocks depend on:

iron content
oxidation state
water

2) In sedimentary and metamorphic similar

to igneous, except for carbonates:

Strong absorption caused by vibrational

processes due to CO3-2 and Al-O-H deformation
in clay minerals.

Spectra igneous rocks:

Top: high acidic composition
Bottom: mafic rocks
Absorption granite at: 1.4,
1.9 and 2.2 m, due vibration
of overtone and combination
of OH- and H2O

Laboratory Spectra

Reference
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Allum.J.A.E.1966. Photogeology and Regional

Mapping. Pergamon Press. Oxford.
Bandat, H.F.von. 1962. Aerogeolgy. Gulf Publishing
Company. Houston. Texas.
Mekel.J.F.M. 1978. The Use of Aerial Photographs and
Other Images in Geological Mapping. ITC Texbook
VIII-1. Vol.1.
Reeves. R.G.; Anson A.; Landen D. (ed).1975. Manual
of Remote Sensing.American Society of
Photogrametry. Falls Church, Virginia.
Siegal, Barry. S. and Gillespie.A. (ed). 1980. Remote
Sensing in Geology. John Wiley & Sons. New York.