Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica
Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an important technique for reconstructing glacial histories. Many of the most commonly applied cosmogenic nuclides are extracted from the mineral quartz, meaning sampling of felsic (silica-rich) rock is often preferred to sampling of mafic (silica-poor) rock for...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/314 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832587581012836352 |
|---|---|
| author | Jonathan R. Adams Philippa J. Mason Stephen J. Roberts Dylan H. Rood John L. Smellie Keir A. Nichols John Woodward Joanne S. Johnson |
| author_facet | Jonathan R. Adams Philippa J. Mason Stephen J. Roberts Dylan H. Rood John L. Smellie Keir A. Nichols John Woodward Joanne S. Johnson |
| author_sort | Jonathan R. Adams |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an important technique for reconstructing glacial histories. Many of the most commonly applied cosmogenic nuclides are extracted from the mineral quartz, meaning sampling of felsic (silica-rich) rock is often preferred to sampling of mafic (silica-poor) rock for exposure dating studies. Fieldwork in remote regions such as Antarctica is subject to time constraints and considerable logistical challenges, making efficient sample recovery critical to successful research efforts. Remote sensing offers an effective way to map the geology of large areas prior to fieldwork and expedite the sampling process. In this study, we assess the viability of multispectral remote sensing to distinguish felsic from mafic rock outcrops at visible-near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths using both the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and very high-resolution Worldview-3 (WV-3) imagery. We applied a combination of spectral mapping and ground truth from spectral measurements of 17 rock samples from Mount Murphy in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica. Using this approach, we identified four dominant rock types which we used as a basis for felsic–mafic differentiation: felsic granites and gneisses, and mafic basalts and fragmental hydrovolcanic rocks. Supervised classification results indicate WV-3 performs well at differentiating felsic and mafic rock types and that ASTER, while coarser, could also achieve satisfactory results and be used in concert with more targeted WV-3 image acquisitions. Finally, we present a revised felsic–mafic geological map for Mt Murphy. Overall, our results highlight the potential of spectral mapping for preliminary reconnaissance when planning future cosmogenic nuclide sampling campaigns in remote, unvisited areas of the polar regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-86718294a2e545c3a38e52c71fde645c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-86718294a2e545c3a38e52c71fde645c2025-01-24T13:48:06ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-01-0117231410.3390/rs17020314Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of AntarcticaJonathan R. Adams0Philippa J. Mason1Stephen J. Roberts2Dylan H. Rood3John L. Smellie4Keir A. Nichols5John Woodward6Joanne S. Johnson7Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UKDepartment of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UKBritish Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UKDepartment of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UKSchool of Geography, Geology and Environment, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UKDepartment of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZ, UKDepartment of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 8ST, UKBritish Antarctic Survey, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UKCosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an important technique for reconstructing glacial histories. Many of the most commonly applied cosmogenic nuclides are extracted from the mineral quartz, meaning sampling of felsic (silica-rich) rock is often preferred to sampling of mafic (silica-poor) rock for exposure dating studies. Fieldwork in remote regions such as Antarctica is subject to time constraints and considerable logistical challenges, making efficient sample recovery critical to successful research efforts. Remote sensing offers an effective way to map the geology of large areas prior to fieldwork and expedite the sampling process. In this study, we assess the viability of multispectral remote sensing to distinguish felsic from mafic rock outcrops at visible-near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) wavelengths using both the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and very high-resolution Worldview-3 (WV-3) imagery. We applied a combination of spectral mapping and ground truth from spectral measurements of 17 rock samples from Mount Murphy in the Amundsen Sea sector of West Antarctica. Using this approach, we identified four dominant rock types which we used as a basis for felsic–mafic differentiation: felsic granites and gneisses, and mafic basalts and fragmental hydrovolcanic rocks. Supervised classification results indicate WV-3 performs well at differentiating felsic and mafic rock types and that ASTER, while coarser, could also achieve satisfactory results and be used in concert with more targeted WV-3 image acquisitions. Finally, we present a revised felsic–mafic geological map for Mt Murphy. Overall, our results highlight the potential of spectral mapping for preliminary reconnaissance when planning future cosmogenic nuclide sampling campaigns in remote, unvisited areas of the polar regions.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/314Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure datingMount Murphymultispectralspectral mappingsupervised classification |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan R. Adams Philippa J. Mason Stephen J. Roberts Dylan H. Rood John L. Smellie Keir A. Nichols John Woodward Joanne S. Johnson Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica Remote Sensing Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating Mount Murphy multispectral spectral mapping supervised classification |
| title | Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica |
| title_full | Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica |
| title_short | Remote Mapping of Bedrock for Future Cosmogenic Nuclide Exposure Dating Studies in Unvisited Areas of Antarctica |
| title_sort | remote mapping of bedrock for future cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating studies in unvisited areas of antarctica |
| topic | Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating Mount Murphy multispectral spectral mapping supervised classification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/2/314 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jonathanradams remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT philippajmason remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT stephenjroberts remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT dylanhrood remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT johnlsmellie remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT keiranichols remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT johnwoodward remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica AT joannesjohnson remotemappingofbedrockforfuturecosmogenicnuclideexposuredatingstudiesinunvisitedareasofantarctica |