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Michigan Technological University |
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Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences |
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Research Project |
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Brief Introduction: A lineament is defined as a linear alignment of surface geomorphic features that are indicative of subsurface structure and tectonics. Remotely sensed (RS) imagery, lineaments are detected by alignment trends of features, such as vegetation, drainage patterns, outcrop truncations, soil moisture, topography, etc. These can be identified due to RS attributes including tone, color, texture, pattern, and association. Although a variety of lineament analysis techniques exist, there is no well-accepted or proven protocol for mapping lineaments using remotely sensed data, nor have different approaches even been compared at given site. The most important questions about defining a lineament analysis process include: (1) what imagery type or combination of imagery types are best to detect lineaments in a particular terrain type?, (2) what processing and interpretation technique(s) works best for different data/terrain types to enhance the appearance of lineaments/fractures?, and (3) how do lineaments/fractures delineated from RS imagery compare to field observations (ground truth)? The technical aim of this work is to bring together a combination of data-processing tools, such as ERDAS Imagine and ArcGIS, in conjunction with information including several types of RS imagery (Quickbird, Landsat 7 ETM+, ASTER, MODIS, JERS-1 SAR, RADARSAT, and aerial photography), field observations, geological/hydrological maps, and a DEM in order to create an effective and efficient method for lineament analysis. Such a method would be a low-cost and non-invasive approach for improving groundwater exploration, especially in remote areas. Objectives: 1. Develop a comprehensive approach for using lineament analysis techniques for aquifer characterization in fractured bedrock aquifers. 2. Test the approach at a site as part of the Remote Sensing for Hazard Mitigation and Resource Protection Project in Pacific Latin America. Research Strategy:
Site Selection: The setting for this project is in Boaco, Nicaragua, located in an area of inactive volcanic terrain where groundwater development is extremely challenging. The main aquifer underlying Boaco is predominately fractured Tertiary basaltic to andesitic volcanic deposits. Shallow Quaternary alluvium aquifers exist east of the city; however, they are of limited extent and have an inadequate capacity for municipal wells. Well productivity in hardrock aquifers depends on the density and distribution of secondary porosity, primarily in the form of fractures (Magowe and Carr 1999). When fractures are sparse, the water supplying a well is depleted quickly and replenishes slowly. The lack of economic resources and insufficient fracture information has made the probability of siting high-yield wells (> 10 L/s) very low in this type of terrain. Therefore, groundwater development by the local government has been focused primarily on manually operated wells in low-population areas beyond the city. Here, as well as in other developing countries, a methodological approach for groundwater development is needed to increase the probability of success in siting productive municipal water wells. Although the protocols that are developed and tested in this work are being done for the region around Boaco, the geological, climatic, and anthropogenic conditions there are typical of much of Latin America and will have broad implications for areas experiencing water scarcity.
The study area was chosen because: · Two previous field campaigns have been preformed to this site as part of Aqua Terra Tech Enterprise involvement, · A large collection of imagery exists, · Boaco serves as a proxy for similar fractured hard-rock terrains.
Committee Members: |
“The Effectiveness of Remote Sensing Techniques in Lineament Mapping for Groundwater Exploration in Volcanic Terrains” |
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(Condensed from project proposal…) |
