Detection of geothermal anomalies using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) thermal infrared images at Bradys Hot Springs, ... article from: Remote Sensing of Environment]

This digital document is a journal article from Remote Sensing of Environment, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Surface temperature anomalies associated with geothermal activity at Bradys Hot Springs, Churchill County, Nevada were mapped using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) thermal infrared (TIR) image data. In order to highlight subsurface contributions of geothermal heat, the ASTER images were processed to minimize temperature variations caused by the diurnal heating effects of the sun. Surface temperature variations caused by changes in albedo were corrected with visible and near-infrared ASTER bands, and a 10-meter-smoothed Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used to correct for topographic slope effects. Field measurements of ground surface temperatures made over 24-hour periods were used to design a thermal inertia correction incorporating day and night thermal infrared images. In the resulting processed image, background temperature variations were reduced 30-50% without reducing the intensity of geothermal anomalies, thus making it easier to distinguish geothermal activity from 'false' anomalies caused by non-thermal springs, topographic effects, and variable rock, soil, and vegetation compositions.