Journal articles on the topic 'Aerial photography in geology – Alaska'

AbstractThe University of Surrey is situated on the northern slopes of Stag Hill, below Guildford Cathedral, which occupies the summit. During the investigation for the design of the University, it became apparent that the site was underlain by a large landslip, 500 m wide from east to west and extending 160 m from rear scarp to toe. Considerable effort was made to establish its geometry and extent (Skempton & Petley (1967), and Morgenstern & Tchalenko (1967)).In recent years it was realised that because the construction of the Cathedral extended over a long period of time, the likelihood of Stag Hill being covered by oblique aerial photography would be high. Some forty oblique aerial photographs, spanning the period 1949 to 1982, were collected and analysed together with vertical aerial photographs and topographic maps.Although the landslip is visible on vertical aerial photographs, individual elements are not easily identified. Using oblique photography, in particular that in which recognition of subdued topography has been enhanced by low sun angles, up to six phases of landslipping were identified.This paper uses this example to demonstrate the usefulness of aerial photography in site investigation and in particular the value of oblique photography, a topic which receives little attention in BS 5930:1981 considering how cost effective this tool can be.

Abstract An internally consistent data set of geometry and flow variables for the lower part of Columbia Glacier, south-central Alaska, is derived entirely from vertical aerial photography. The principle of mass conservation is imposed on the data in the form of a centered finite-difference approximation of the continuity equation. It is applied on a 120-node section of a square grid covering the 15 km long, high-velocity stretch ending at the grounded, heavily calving terminus of this large glacier. Photography was obtained 22 times between June 1977 and September 1981. Surface altitudes on the dates of the flights and the displacement vectors between pairs of flights were determined photogrammetrically. Natural features on the glacier surface were sufficiently prominent and enduring to be followed from the date of one flight to the next. Because both the altitude points and displacement vectors were irregularly positioned spatially, interpolation was necessary to get values on the grid nodes. The points had already been subjected to the method of optimum interpolation to get surface altitudes on the grid nodes. The displacement vectors are subjected here to a constrained–interpolation method to get velocity vectors at the grid nodes that are consistent, through the continuity equation, with the other variables. The other variables needed to achieve closure of the variable set are bed topography and mass-balance distribution. The latter was taken to be a separate linear function of altitude for each time interval. Values for bed altitudes at 120 nodes and two coefficients of each 21 balance functions were inferred as the 162 model parameters in a non-linear minimization problem having 4305 observed velocity components as its data.

AbstractAn internally consistent data set of geometry and flow variables for the lower part of Columbia Glacier, south-central Alaska, is derived entirely from vertical aerial photography. The principle of mass conservation is imposed on the data in the form of a centered finite-difference approximation of the continuity equation. It is applied on a 120-node section of a square grid covering the 15 km long, high-velocity stretch ending at the grounded, heavily calving terminus of this large glacier.Photography was obtained 22 times between June 1977 and September 1981. Surface altitudes on the dates of the flights and the displacement vectors between pairs of flights were determined photogrammetrically. Natural features on the glacier surface were sufficiently prominent and enduring to be followed from the date of one flight to the next.Because both the altitude points and displacement vectors were irregularly positioned spatially, interpolation was necessary to get values on the grid nodes. The points had already been subjected to the method of optimum interpolation to get surface altitudes on the grid nodes. The displacement vectors are subjected here to a constrained–interpolation method to get velocity vectors at the grid nodes that are consistent, through the continuity equation, with the other variables.The other variables needed to achieve closure of the variable set are bed topography and mass-balance distribution. The latter was taken to be a separate linear function of altitude for each time interval. Values for bed altitudes at 120 nodes and two coefficients of each 21 balance functions were inferred as the 162 model parameters in a non-linear minimization problem having 4305 observed velocity components as its data.

The relations between seasonal changes in ice speed, longitudinal extension rate and terminus position are investigated for Columbia Glacier, Alaska, over the period 1977–87. The lower reach of the glacier is studied using repeat aerial photography, which extends from the terminus to the base of an icefall about 14 km up-glacier. There are regular seasonal cycles in speed and stretching rate. These cycles continue after the glacier retreats off the shoal at the end of the fjord (in about 1983), indicating that factors other than backstress, such as seasonal changes in subglacial water, control the speed of the glacier. Terminus position appears to be linked with thinning induced by longitudinal extension, as predicted by the calving model proposed by Van der Veen (1996).

The relations between seasonal changes in ice speed, longitudinal extension rate and terminus position are investigated for Columbia Glacier, Alaska, over the period 1977–87. The lower reach of the glacier is studied using repeat aerial photography, which extends from the terminus to the base of an icefall about 14 km up-glacier. There are regular seasonal cycles in speed and stretching rate. These cycles continue after the glacier retreats off the shoal at the end of the fjord (in about 1983), indicating that factors other than backstress, such as seasonal changes in subglacial water, control the speed of the glacier. Terminus position appears to be linked with thinning induced by longitudinal extension, as predicted by the calving model proposed by Van der Veen (1996).

AbstractThis paper outlines selected remote sensing techniques and their application to civil engineering surveys.In BS 5930, emphasis has been placed on the interpretation of black and white aerial photography to provide information. However, other techniques such as true colour and false colour infrared photography, thermal infrared, radar and landsat satellite imagery may be useful in appropriate applications.

AbstractExtremely ice-rich syngenetic permafrost, or yedoma, developed extensively under the cold climate of the Pleistocene in unglaciated regions of Eurasia and North America. In Alaska, yedoma occurs in the Arctic Foothills, the northern part of the Seward Peninsula, and in interior Alaska. A remarkable 33-m-high exposure along the lower Itkillik River in northern Alaska opened an opportunity to study the unmodified yedoma, including stratigraphy, particle-size distribution, soil carbon contents, morphology and quantity of segregated, wedge, and thermokarst-cave ice. The exposed permafrost sequence comprised seven cryostratigraphic units, which formed over a period from > 48,000 to 5,00014C yr BP, including: 1) active layer; 2) intermediate layer of the upper permafrost; 3–4) two yedoma silt units with different thicknesses of syngenetic ice wedges; 5) buried peat layer; 6) buried intermediate layer beneath the peat; and 7) silt layer with short ice wedges. This exposure is comparable to the well known Mus-Khaya and Duvanny Yar yedoma exposures in Russia. Based on our field observations, literature sources, and interpretation of satellite images and aerial photography, we have developed a preliminary map of yedoma distribution in Alaska.

AbstractSystematic, large-scale, aerial photography is now available for many areas of the exposed coalfields. In West Yorkshire 1:10000 or 1:10 560 scale cover is generally available, supplemented by 1:5000 and 1:3000 cover in more limited areas. Examination of aerial photographs, in conjunction with detailed geological mapping, has identified characteristic ground patterns associated with the existence of former shallow workings. These patterns are interpreted in terms of changes of style of mining with increasing depth.The presence of shallow mine workings is a major constraint on planning in areas of exposed coalfield. The examination of large scale aerial photographs offers a rapid reconnaissance method of identifying such workings.

Remote sensing can be done visually and digitally. one of the advantages of airborne photography data generated by drone (phantom-3) compared to satellite imagery with optical sensitivity is its ability to obtain cloud-free images and freedom of recording time and the displayed area shows clearly defined objects corresponding to land cover. characteristics. To limit the object-based area of this research method applied is Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA).This study aims to classify land cover using highly resolved aerial photography with the help of Object Based Image Analysis (OBIA) technique and calculate the accuracy and accuracy, land cover classification by using Objeck Based Image (OBIA) analysis through examination of field conditions.classifying land cover, the classification includes shrubs, young shrubs, plantations (oil palms), shrubs, mines, open land, roads and water bodies with Accuracy of Overcome 0.86.

Aerial drone photography of an active pit within a sand and gravel quarry in DeSoto County, Mississippi, was conducted to better understand the Upland Complex, which is a high-level Pliocene terrace of the Mississippi River. The Upland Complex is of great interest economically, as it is the primary source of sand and gravel for Memphis, Tennessee and the surrounding region. The pit dimensions were approximately 820 ft (250 m) by 655 ft (200 m) and 79-ft (24 m) deep upon completion of the mining. Eight 3-D models of the pit were made at different times to illustrate the mining progression. Oblique and horizontal stereo aerial photography of the highwalls was conducted to produce 3-D models and high-resolution photomosaics of the highwalls for geologic mapping and interpretation. The mapped highwall geology included Pliocene Mississippi River bars consisting of sand, sand and gravel, and gravel ranging in thickness from 2 ft (0.6 m) to 32.8 ft (10 m), with variable cross-bed dip directions suggesting a meandering river environment of deposition. Pleistocene loess overlies the Pliocene sediment. The highwalls also revealed northerly-striking late Pliocene or Pleistocene tectonic folding, faulting, and probable earthquake liquefaction in northwestern Mississippi, where no Pliocene or Quaternary tectonic deformation had previously been reported. This study demonstrated Drone aerial photography as a quick, low cost, and safe means to study poorly accessible open-pit mining and to help understand the geology of the lower Mississippi River Valley.

The present work aims to evaluate the coastal dynamics along the Peró beach over the last 7,000 years, using shell-midden dating, sediment granulometric analysis, aerial photography from different ages, and field investigation to aid result interpretation and provide for clues on the adaptation of the methodology employed. Paleobeach reconstruction has been made possible by a combination of 14C age-dating and the interpretation of beach ridge disposition. Aerial photography from the years of 1959, 1976, and 2003 allow the evaluation of the present short-term coastline behavior, thus establishing the position of the paleobeach in relation to the current high-tide zone. Results indicate that the paleobeach situated in the present-day coastal plain dates from 3.373 - 3.000 cal A.P. Coastline variation in the 1959 - 1976 period consists of approximately 30m of accretion on its most significant point, while in the it eroded about 30m at the central beach sector during 1976 - 2003 period. In this context, results are considered satisfactory for the understanding of sedimentation dynamics at the Peró beach, in the city of Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

AbstractThe net mass balance on Gulkana Glacier, Alaska, U.S.A., has been measured since 1966 by the glaciological method, in which seasonal balances are measured at three index sites and extrapolated over large areas of the glacier. Systematic errors can accumulate linearly with time in this method. Therefore, the geodetic balance, in which errors are less time-dependent, was calculated for comparison with the glaciological method. Digital elevation models of the glacier in 1974, 1993 and 1999 were prepared using aerial photographs, and geodetic balances were computed, giving – 6.0 ± 0.7 m w.e. from 1974 to 1993 and -11.8 ± 0.7 m w.e. from 1974 to 1999. These balances are compared with the glaciological balances over the same intervals, which were – 5.8 ± 0.9 and -11.2 ± 1.0 m w.e. respectively; both balances show that the thinning rate tripled in the 1990s. These cumulative balances differ by <6%. For this close agreement, the glaciologically measured mass balance of Gulkana Glacier must be largely free of systematic errors and be based on a time-variable area-altitude distribution, and the photography used in the geodetic method must have enough contrast to enable accurate photogrammetry.

We compared the stand conditions in buffer strips with those in unlogged riparian stands with similar site characteristics using large-scale aerial photography to deduce differences in stand mortality and large woody debris (LWD) recruitment. We found the cumulative stand mortality (CSM) was significantly greater in buffer units compared with reference units and that mortality varied with distance from the stream. In the inner zone (0–10 m from stream), the mean difference in CSM between buffer and reference units was relatively small (22% of unlogged CSM), but the CSM in the buffer units of the outer zone (10–20 m from stream) was more than double (120%) the CSM in the reference units. The greater CSM in the buffer units is primarily the result of a significant increase in mortality by windthrow at a small proportion (11%) of the logged units. We found that logging caused an increase in the proportion of tree recruitment to the stream from the outer zone of buffers and changed the shape of the LWD source distance recruitment curve. Based on our findings, we estimate the future potential supply of LWD is diminished by 10% compared with an unlogged reference stand.

Following the devastating M7.2 earthquake that affected Haiti on 12 January 2010 two types of building damage assessment maps were produced: 1) area-based damage assessments using pre- and post-event satellite imagery and 2) detailed building-by-building damage assessments using post-event aerial photography. In this paper, we compare the reliability and the usability of area-based damage assessment maps from satellite imagery with respect to the detailed damage assessment from aerial data. The main objective is to better understand how cooperative rapid mapping can steer the more detailed assessments that are typical in determining postdisaster recovery and reconstruction efforts. The results of these experiments indicate that damage assessment maps based on satellite data are capable of capturing the damage pattern, mainly in areas with a high level of damaged and many collapsed structures. However, these maps cannot provide the level of information needed for the quantification of damage intensity.

Abstract. Permafrost presence is determined by a complex interaction of climatic, topographic, and ecological conditions operating over long time scales. In particular, vegetation and organic layer characteristics may act to protect permafrost in regions with a mean annual air temperature (MAAT) above 0 °C. In this study, we document the presence of residual permafrost plateaus in the western Kenai Peninsula lowlands of south-central Alaska, a region with a MAAT of 1.5 ± 1 °C (1981–2010). Continuous ground temperature measurements between 16 September 2012 and 15 September 2015, using calibrated thermistor strings, documented the presence of warm permafrost (−0.04 to −0.08 °C). Field measurements (probing) on several plateau features during the fall of 2015 showed that the depth to the permafrost table averaged 1.48 m but at some locations was as shallow as 0.53 m. Late winter surveys (augering, coring, and GPR) in 2016 showed that the average seasonally frozen ground thickness was 0.45 m, overlying a talik above the permafrost table. Measured permafrost thickness ranged from 0.33 to > 6.90 m. Manual interpretation of historic aerial photography acquired in 1950 indicates that residual permafrost plateaus covered 920 ha as mapped across portions of four wetland complexes encompassing 4810 ha. However, between 1950 and ca. 2010, permafrost plateau extent decreased by 60.0 %, with lateral feature degradation accounting for 85.0 % of the reduction in area. Permafrost loss on the Kenai Peninsula is likely associated with a warming climate, wildfires that remove the protective forest and organic layer cover, groundwater flow at depth, and lateral heat transfer from wetland surface waters in the summer. Better understanding the resilience and vulnerability of ecosystem-protected permafrost is critical for mapping and predicting future permafrost extent and degradation across all permafrost regions that are currently warming. Further work should focus on reconstructing permafrost history in south-central Alaska as well as additional contemporary observations of these ecosystem-protected permafrost sites south of the regions with relatively stable permafrost.

Abstract Recent developments in image processing and digital photogrammetry offer to the geomorphologists increasingly accessible and effective tools for the spatio-temporal knowledge of landslides. These techniques were used to reconstitute the historical evolution of a complex flow slide occurring in the "Terres Noires" of the Barcelonnette basin. The lithological and morphological environment of the studied site is characteristic of the whole southern French Prealps where are largely present Jurassic marly formations. Six digital elevation models (D.E.M.) generated from stereoscopic couples of aerial photography, but also various ortho-images and perspective views, allow to follow the morphological evolution of the unstable slope since the years 1950's -- before the releasing of the landslide -- until our days. Besides multitemporal descriptions of the landscape and of the morphological processes occurred on this site, the implemented method appears particularly useful for the quantitative analysis of the instabilities. It appears notably as a powerful tool for the 3-D reconstruction of the landslide geometry and by the same occasion for the calculation of its volume.

AbstractGeomorphological mapping is a well established tool in terrain evaluation. A case record is presented in which high-oblique aerial photography from a light aircraft has been used for basic mapping of a 3 km length of coastline with the purpose of assessing relative landslide hazard.The cliffs at Budleigh Salterton, East Devon, are formed in a succession of Permo-Triassic mudstone, conglomerate and sandstone which dip gently eastwards along the coast. The coastline is divided into five units based on changes in the stratigraphic succession exposed in the cliff face; each unit correlating with distinctive geomorphological features and cliff profiles. Groundwater discharges, wave attack and weathering ensure that there is continuing geomorphological activity. This necessitates frequent updating of local hazard assessment.Overlapping aerial photographs of the cliff face have been taken at intervals during the past six years. With limited ground inspection these photographs provide adequate data for basic geomorphological mapping of the principal forms represented in the cliff. Successive series of photographs are used to follow the development of individual features and to identify the hazards present in each section of the cliff. Data from early Ordnance Survey maps, old photographs and personal reminiscences extend parts of the history of the coast back into the last century. The positions of landslides are controlled largely by geological and hydrological factors whereas the timing of events is often a function of external environmental triggering mechanisms such as weather, tide or waves.A classification of the relative hazard of cliff-top instability has been used to map hazard zones for the coastline. Together with the system of photographic data acquisition advocated, this provides a rapid and economic method to assist planning authorities in determining development strategy.

Abstract. We present the results of a reconnaissance investigation of unusual debris mass-movement features on permafrost slopes that pose a potential infrastructure hazard in the south-central Brooks Range, Alaska. For the purpose of this paper, we describe these features as frozen debris-lobes. We focus on the characterisation of frozen debris-lobes as indicators of various movement processes using ground-based surveys, remote sensing, field and laboratory measurements, and time-lapse observations of frozen debris-lobe systems along the Dalton Highway. Currently, some frozen debris-lobes exceed 100 m in width, 20 m in height and 1000 m in length. Our results indicate that frozen debris-lobes have responded to climate change by becoming increasingly active during the last decades, resulting in rapid downslope movement. Movement indicators observed in the field include toppling trees, slumps and scarps, detachment slides, striation marks on frozen sediment slabs, recently buried trees and other vegetation, mudflows, and large cracks in the lobe surface. The type and diversity of observed indicators suggest that the lobes likely consist of a frozen debris core, are subject to creep, and seasonally unfrozen surface sediment is transported in warm seasons by creep, slumping, viscous flow, blockfall and leaching of fines, and in cold seasons by creep and sliding of frozen sediment slabs. Ground-based measurements on one frozen debris-lobe over three years (2008–2010) revealed average movement rates of approximately 1 cm day−1, which is substantially larger than rates measured in historic aerial photography from the 1950s to 1980s. We discuss how climate change may further influence frozen debris-lobe dynamics, potentially accelerating their movement. We highlight the potential direct hazard that one of the studied frozen debris-lobes may pose in the coming years and decades to the nearby Trans Alaska Pipeline System and the Dalton Highway, the main artery for transportation between Interior Alaska and the North Slope.

We document accelerating invasion of woody vegetation into wetlands on the western Kenai Peninsula lowlands. Historical aerial photography for 11 wetland sites showed that herbaceous area shrank 6.2%/decade from 1951 to 1968, and 11.1%/decade from 1968 to 1996. Corresponding rates for converting herbaceous area to shrubland were 11.5% and 13.7%/decade, respectively, and, for converting nonforest to forest, were 7.8% and 8.3%/decade, respectively. Black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests on three wetland perimeters established since the Little Ice Age concluded in the 1850s. Dwarf birch shrubs at three wetland sites showed median apparent tree-ring age of 13 years, indicating recent shrub colonization at these sites. Peat cores at 24 wetland sites (basal peat ages 1840 – 18 740 calibrated years before present) indicated that these peatlands originated as wet Sphagnum –sedge fens with very little woody vegetation. Local meteorological records show a 55% decline in available water since 1968, of which one-third is due to higher summer temperatures and increased evapotranspiration and two-thirds is due to lower annual precipitation. These results suggest that wet Sphagnum–sedge fens initiating since the end of the Wisconsin glaciation began to dry in the 1850s and that this drying has greatly accelerated since the 1970s.

Side-looking, C-band synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) penetrates cloud and fog, and operates day or night, to produce pseudo-three-dimensional terrain images with enhanced topography and surface roughness. The images, which have a 20 m resolution and cover large areas, have been used to map the regional trends, patterns of lineaments, and terrain types over a 6200 km2 area of complex lithology, structure, and drift cover. Four lineament classes are differentiated. Glacial trends are clear, and bedrock structures (faults, fractures, joints, foliation, and folded bedding) with relief expression at the surface show through the drift as lineaments. They accurately reproduce most known features when compared with bedrock and Quatenary geology maps. Hitherto unrecognized structural elements are revealed. Tones and textures reflect minute surface roughness variations useful in terrain classification. SAR wide-swath-mode imagery is thus a valuable complement to aerial photography, and is superior in revealing hummocky moraine, ribbed moraine, boulder fields and stony till. Wider use of this imagery is encouraged.

On 27th November, 1939 Shell was awarded its first exploration concession in Australia. The initial holdings covered much of southern Queensland, including parts of the Eromanga, Surat and Bowen Basins. An exploration programme involving field geology, aerial photography, a gravity survey and shallow structural drilling preceded a 'deep test' in 1950, Morella-1, located in the Denison Trough near Springsure. In the course of the venture, Shell was responsible for the first effective application of several modern techniques to petroleum exploration in Australia, including geophysics, organic geochemistry and wireline logging. Although disappointing results led to relinquishment of this first area, Shell has continued to explore in Australia, initially through participation in the WAPET and North West Shelf consortia, and from 1962 in a series of other ventures throughout the country. The rewards, in terms of Shell equity reserves, total some 1.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent at an exploration cost since 1964 of 1.1 billion dollars (1988 equivalent value).

Abstract The Kheis Province is situated between the Namaqua-Natal Province and the western margin of the Kaapvaal Craton in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It has been described as a thin-skinned fold and thrust belt formed between 1800 and 1700 Ma. The lithostratigraphic subdivision of the rock units comprising the Kheis Province has been a source of much controversy. From detailed study of aerial photography and satellite imagery, as well as field-based studies, the outcrop patterns in the Kheis Province and Kaaien Terrane were reinterpreted and a new stratigraphic subdivision is outlined here. It is proposed that the structural Kaaien Terrane and Kheis Province should be combined into the Kheis Terrane and that the rocks occurring in the Kheis Terrane should be grouped together to form the new Keis supergroup, with the basal metaconglomerate of the Mapedi/Gamagara Formation recognised as the regional unconformity between the Keis supergroup and the underlying rocks of the Transvaal Supergroup in the Griqualand West area. The Keis supergroup is subdivided from the base upwards into the Elim-, Olifantshoek-, Groblershoop- and Wilgenhoutsdrif groups. The basal Elim group is composed of the Mapedi/Gamagara- and Lucknow formations. It is overlain with a regional erosional unconformity by the Olifantshoek group, which is made up of the Neylan-, Hartley-, Volop- and Top Dog formations. The Olifantshoek group is conformably overlain by the Groblershoop group which is comprised of three upward coarsening successions:the Faanshoek- and Faansgeluk formations,the Maraisdraai- and Vuilnek formations andthe Opwag- and Skurweberg formations. The Groblershoop group is in turn erosively overlain by the rocks of the Wilgenhoutsdrif Group, which include the basal erosive Groot Drink formation which is overlain by the Zonderhuis- and Leerkrans formations. The lithologies of the Keis supergroup are in faulted contact with the rocks of the younger Areachap Group of the ~1200 Ma Namaqua-Natal Metamorphic Province.

Abstract A new lithostratigraphic framework based upon a review of historic data, field mapping and remote sensing, including aerial photography, high-resolution airborne aeromagnetic and radiometric data, is proposed for the Archaean geology along the southeastern margin of the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. A synthesis of new and existing data reveals that previously accepted lithostratigraphic schemes require complete revision, with reinterpretations identifying multiple major shear zones and previously unidentified granitoid successions along the margin of the craton. In this new lithostratigraphic framework, lithologies of the Southern Syncline previously correlated with the Nsuze Group of the Pongola Supergroup, are redefined as greenstone lithologies associated with the Ilangwe Greenstone Belt. The geology of the Nkandla region can be subdivided into five distinct geophysical domains including: (i) an extension of the Ilangwe Greenstone Belt, (Domain 1) which is subdivided into; a lower volcanic succession, the Thathe Formation, comprising pillow and amygdaloidal volcanics; the adjoining Sabiza Formation, comprising pillow volcanics exposed in the southeast of the study area; the volcano-sedimentary Mtshwili Formation, which overlies the Thathe and Sabiza formations, consisting of quartz (sericite) schist, phyllite, metavolcanics and iron formation; the Nomangci Formation, which occurs as a region of highly deformed quartz-kyanite-sericite schists, and the Simbagwezi Formation, which comprises maroon to green phyllites and schists in the north of the study area. (ii) granitoids of the Impisi Granitoid Suite (Domain 2) which border the greenstone succession to the north, intruding the Nomangci and Simbagwezi formations. (iii) a southern complex of sheared granitoids termed the Umgabhi Granitoid Suite (Domain 3), which intrudes the Thathe, Sabiza and Mtshwili formations. (iv) The two remaining domains, comprise the Mesoproterozoic Mfongosi and Ntingwe Groups (Domain 4) and Mesoarchaean volcano-sedimentary sequences of the Pongola Supergroup (Domain 5).

Preferential clearance of productive Acacia-dominated ecosystems was determined using digital land-system mapping and a 1994–1995 native vegetation remnant coverage from central Queensland. The previously mapped land systems are composed of complexes of land units, covering a range of productive potentials that are not individually mapped but defined according to their proportions within the land systems. Some land units were grouped into 11 ‘Acacia ecosystems’ composed of unique combinations of geology and vegetation dominated by brigalow (Acacia harpophylla F.Muell. ex Benth.), gidgee (A. cambagei R.T.Baker) or blackwood (A. argyrodendron Domin). Calculation of the remnant area of these Acacia ecosystems, assuming equal proportions of vegetation clearance of the land unit components within the land-system complexes (equal proportion calculation), was compared with a more accurate calculation based on interpretation of aerial photography (aerial-photograph calculation) data. The aerial photograph calculation of remnant area was 44% of the equal proportion calculation for brigalow on Tertiary clay and the ratio between these calculations was greater than 100% for only one Acacia ecosystem of relatively low production potential. The proportion of the remnant Acacia ecosystems relative to less productive ecosystems on tenures assigned to production (leasehold and freehold) was consistently lower than on other tenures. The use of mapping consisting of composite ecosystems with various production potentials for area-based assessment of vegetation clearance will overestimate the remnant areas of the relatively productive types unless a procedure such as that outlined here is used to correct for preferential clearance. This study provides near-complete and accurate data on the 1994–1995 status of Acacia ecosystems in central Queensland. Relative to their original area, values ranged from 6.8% for brigalow on Tertiary clay to 37.6% for gidgee–blackwood on alluvium.

Abstract. Porous sandstones are important reservoirs for geofluids. Interaction therein between deformation and cementation during diagenesis is critical since both processes can strongly reduce rock porosity and permeability, deteriorating reservoir quality. Deformation bands and fault-related diagenetic bodies, here called “structural and diagenetic heterogeneities”, affect fluid flow at a range of scales and potentially lead to reservoir compartmentalization, influencing flow buffering and sealing during the production of geofluids. We present two field-based studies from Loiano (northern Apennines, Italy) and Bollène (Provence, France) that elucidate the structural control exerted by deformation bands on fluid flow and diagenesis recorded by calcite nodules associated with the bands. We relied on careful in situ observations through geo-photography, string mapping, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography integrated with optical, scanning electron and cathodoluminescence microscopy, and stable isotope (δ13C and δ18O) analysis of nodules cement. In both case studies, one or more sets of deformation bands precede and control selective cement precipitation. Cement texture, cathodoluminescence patterns, and their isotopic composition suggest precipitation from meteoric fluids. In Loiano, deformation bands acted as low-permeability baffles to fluid flow and promoted selective cement precipitation. In Bollène, clusters of deformation bands restricted fluid flow and focused diagenesis to parallel-to-band compartments. Our work shows that deformation bands control flow patterns within a porous sandstone reservoir and this, in turn, affects how diagenetic heterogeneities are distributed within the porous rocks. This information is invaluable to assess the uncertainties in reservoir petrophysical properties, especially where structural and diagenetic heterogeneities are below seismic resolution.

Abstract High-resolution three-dimensional terrain models are used to evaluate the Ragged Mountain fault kinematics (Katalla, Alaska, USA). Previous studies have produced contradictory interpretations of the fault’s kinematics because surface ruptures along the fault are primarily steeply dipping, uphill-facing normal fault scarps. In this paper, we evaluate the hypothesis that these uphill-facing scarps represent extension above a buried thrust ramp. Detailed geomorphic mapping along the fault, using 20-cm-resolution aerial imagery draped onto a 1-m-resolution lidar (light detection and ranging) elevation model, was used to produce multiple topographic profiles. These profiles illustrate scarp geometries and prominent convex-upward topographic surfaces, indicating significant disturbance by active tectonics. A theoretical model is developed for fault-parallel flow over a thrust ramp that shows the geometric relationships between thrust displacement, upper-plate extension, and ramp dip. An important prediction of the model for this study is that the magnitude of upper-plate extension is comparable to, or greater than, the thrust displacement for ramps with dips greater than ∼45°. This model is used to analyze profile shapes and surface displacements in Move software (Midland Valley Ltd.). Analyses of scarp heights allow estimates of hanging-wall extension, which we then use to estimate slip on the underlying thrust via the model. Assuming a low-angle (30°) uniformly dipping thrust and simple longitudinal extension via normal faulting, variations in extension along the fault would require a slip gradient from ∼8 m in the north to ∼22 m in the south. However, the same north-south variation in extension with a constant slip of 8–10 m may infer an increase in fault dip from ∼30° in the north to ∼60° in the south. This model prediction has broader implications for active-fault studies. Because the model quantifies relationships between hanging-wall extension, fault slip, and fault dip, it is possible to invert for fault slip in blind thrust ramps where hanging-wall extension is the primary surface manifestation. This study, together with results from the St. Elias Erosion and Tectonics Project (STEEP), clarifies the role of the Ragged Mountain fault as a contractional structure within a broadly sinistral shear system in the western syntaxis of the St. Elias orogeny.

Abstract The Walker Lane is a broad shear zone that accommodates a significant portion of North American–Pacific plate relative transform motion through a complex of fault systems and block rotations. Analysis of digital elevation models, constructed from both lidar data and structure-from-motion modeling of unmanned aerial vehicle photography, in conjunction with 10Be and 36Cl cosmogenic and optically stimulated luminescence dating define new Late Pleistocene to Holocene minimum strike-slip rates for the Benton Springs (1.5 ± 0.2 mm/yr), Petrified Springs (0.7 ± 0.1 mm/yr), Gumdrop Hills (0.9 +0.3/−0.2 mm/yr), and Indian Head (0.8 ± 0.1 mm/yr) faults of the central Walker Lane (Nevada, USA). Regional mapping of the fault traces within Quaternary deposits further show that the Indian Head and southern Benton Springs faults have had multiple Holocene ruptures, with inferred coseismic displacements of ∼3 m, while absence of displaced Holocene deposits along the Agai Pah, Gumdrop Hills, northern Benton Springs, and Petrified Springs faults suggest they have not. Combining these observations and comparing them with geodetic estimates of deformation across the central Walker Lane, indicates that at least one-third of the ∼8 mm/yr geodetic deformation budget has been focused across strike-slip faults, accommodated by only two of the five faults discussed here, during the Holocene, and possibly half from all the strike-slip faults during the Late Pleistocene. These results indicate secular variations of slip distribution and irregular recurrence intervals amongst the system of strike-slip faults. This makes the geodetic assessment of fault slip rates and return times of earthquakes on closely spaced strike-slip fault systems challenging. Moreover, it highlights the importance of understanding temporal variations of slip distribution within fault systems when comparing geologic and geodetic rates. Finally, the study provides examples of the importance and value in using observations of soil development in assessing the veracity of surface exposure ages determined with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide analysis.

Abstract To evaluate ground deformation resulting from large (~10 m) coseismic strike-slip displacements, we focus on deformation of the Kekerengu fault during the November 2016 Mw 7.8 Kaikōura earthquake in New Zealand. Combining post-earthquake field observations with analysis of high-resolution aerial photography and topographic models, we describe the structural geology and geomorphology of the rupture zone. During the earthquake, fissured pressure bulges (“mole tracks”) initiated at stepovers between synthetic Riedel (R) faults. As slip accumulated, near-surface “rafts” of cohesive clay-rich sediment, bounded by R faults and capped by grassy turf, rotated about a vertical axis and were internally shortened, thus amplifying the bulges. The bulges are flanked by low-angle contractional faults that emplace the shortened mass of detached sediment outward over less-deformed ground. As slip accrued, turf rafts fragmented into blocks bounded by short secondary fractures striking at a high angle to the main fault trace that we interpret to have originated as antithetic Riedel (R′) faults. Eventually these blocks were dispersed into strongly sheared earth and variably rotated. Along the fault, clockwise rotation of these turf rafts within the rupture zone averaged ~20°–30°, accommodating a finite shear strain of 1.0–1.5 and a distributed strike slip of ~3–4 m. On strike-slip parts of the fault, internal shortening of the rafts averaged 1–2 m parallel to the R faults and ~1 m perpendicular to the main fault trace. Driven by distortional rotation, this contraction of the rafts exceeds the magnitude of fault heave. Turf rafts on slightly transtensional segments of the fault were also bulged and shortened—relationships that can be explained by a kinematic model involving “deformable slats.” In a paleoseismic trench cut perpendicular the fault, one would observe fissures, low-angle thrusts, and steeply dipping strike-slip faults—some cross-cutting one another—yet all may have formed during a single earthquake featuring a large strike-slip displacement.

AbstractOn 22 March 2014, a massive, catastrophic landslide occurred near Oso, Washington, USA, sweeping more than 1 km across the adjacent valley flats and killing 43 people. For the following 5 weeks, hundreds of workers engaged in an exhaustive search, rescue, and recovery effort directly in the landslide runout path. These workers could not avoid the risks posed by additional large-scale slope collapses. In an effort to ensure worker safety, multiple agencies cooperated to swiftly deploy a monitoring and alerting system consisting of sensors, automated data processing and web-based display, along with defined communication protocols and clear calls to action for emergency management and search personnel. Guided by the principle that an accelerating landslide poses a greater threat than a steadily moving or stationary mass, the system was designed to detect ground motion and vibration using complementary monitoring techniques. Near real-time information was provided by continuous GPS, seismometers/geophones, and extensometers. This information was augmented by repeat-assessment techniques such as terrestrial and aerial laser scanning and time-lapse photography. Fortunately, no major additional landsliding occurred. However, we did detect small headscarp failures as well as slow movement of the remaining landslide mass with the monitoring system. This was an exceptional response situation and the lessons learned are applicable to other landslide disaster crises. They underscore the need for cogent landslide expertise and ready-to-deploy monitoring equipment, the value of using redundant monitoring techniques with distinct goals, the benefit of clearly defined communication protocols, and the importance of continued research into forecasting landslide behavior to allow timely warning.

Abstract. Ponds and lakes are abundant in Arctic permafrost lowlands. They play an important role in Arctic wetland ecosystems by regulating carbon, water, and energy fluxes and providing freshwater habitats. However, ponds, i.e., waterbodies with surface areas smaller than 1. 0 × 104 m2, have not been inventoried on global and regional scales. The Permafrost Region Pond and Lake (PeRL) database presents the results of a circum-Arctic effort to map ponds and lakes from modern (2002–2013) high-resolution aerial and satellite imagery with a resolution of 5 m or better. The database also includes historical imagery from 1948 to 1965 with a resolution of 6 m or better. PeRL includes 69 maps covering a wide range of environmental conditions from tundra to boreal regions and from continuous to discontinuous permafrost zones. Waterbody maps are linked to regional permafrost landscape maps which provide information on permafrost extent, ground ice volume, geology, and lithology. This paper describes waterbody classification and accuracy, and presents statistics of waterbody distribution for each site. Maps of permafrost landscapes in Alaska, Canada, and Russia are used to extrapolate waterbody statistics from the site level to regional landscape units. PeRL presents pond and lake estimates for a total area of 1. 4 × 106 km2 across the Arctic, about 17 % of the Arctic lowland ( < 300 m a.s.l.) land surface area. PeRL waterbodies with sizes of 1. 0 × 106 m2 down to 1. 0 × 102 m2 contributed up to 21 % to the total water fraction. Waterbody density ranged from 1. 0 × 10 to 9. 4 × 101 km−2. Ponds are the dominant waterbody type by number in all landscapes representing 45–99 % of the total waterbody number. The implementation of PeRL size distributions in land surface models will greatly improve the investigation and projection of surface inundation and carbon fluxes in permafrost lowlands. Waterbody maps, study area boundaries, and maps of regional permafrost landscapes including detailed metadata are available at https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.868349.

Rapid urbanization rates impact significantly on the nature of Land Cover patterns of the environment, which has been evident in the depletion of vegetal reserves and in general modifying the human climatic systems (Henderson, et al., 2017; Kumar, Masago, Mishra, & Fukushi, 2018; Luo and Lau, 2017). This study explores remote sensing classification technique and other auxiliary data to determine LULCC for a period of 50 years (1967-2016). The LULCC types identified were quantitatively evaluated using the change detection approach from results of maximum likelihood classification algorithm in GIS. Accuracy assessment results were evaluated and found to be between 56 to 98 percent of the LULC classification. The change detection analysis revealed change in the LULC types in Minna from 1976 to 2016. Built-up area increases from 74.82ha in 1976 to 116.58ha in 2016. Farmlands increased from 2.23 ha to 46.45ha and bared surface increases from 120.00ha to 161.31ha between 1976 to 2016 resulting to decline in vegetation, water body, and wetlands. The Decade of rapid urbanization was found to coincide with the period of increased Public Private Partnership Agreement (PPPA). Increase in farmlands was due to the adoption of urban agriculture which has influence on food security and the environmental sustainability. The observed increase in built up areas, farmlands and bare surfaces has substantially led to reduction in vegetation and water bodies. The oscillatory nature of water bodies LULCC which was not particularly consistent with the rates of urbanization also suggests that beyond the urbanization process, other factors may influence the LULCC of water bodies in urban settlements. Keywords: Minna, Niger State, Remote Sensing, Land Surface Characteristics References Akinrinmade, A., Ibrahim, K., & Abdurrahman, A. (2012). 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Abstract The combination of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography with structure-from-motion (SfM) digital photogrammetry provides a quickly deployable and cost-effective method for monitoring geomorphic change, particularly for hazards such as landslides. The Scenic Drive landslide is a deep-seated slope failure in La Honda, CA, with episodic activity in 1998 and 2005–06. Heavy rainfall during 2016–17 initiated movement of a new and separate landslide directly upslope of the existing Scenic Drive landslide, damaging three residences. We acquired imagery of the Upper Scenic Drive landslide beginning 2 days after initial motion using a global positioning system–enabled UAV. We used this imagery to generate seven digital elevation models (DEMs) between January and May 2017, with spatial resolutions of ∼3–10 cm/pixel. We compared these DEMs with each other and with available light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to assess landslide kinematics, including horizontal displacement vectors, rates of motion, and total mass redistribution, and to test the accuracy and applicability of UAV/SfM-derived measurements. We estimated the maximum horizontal displacement of the slide was at least 5 m during the monitoring period and calculated that ∼3,000 m3 of material was displaced by the landslide. Comparing the UAV-derived topography with synchronous terrestrial LiDAR scanning showed that accuracies of the two techniques are comparable, generally within 0.05 m horizontally and within 0.20 m vertically in unvegetated areas. This study demonstrates the capability of combining UAV and SfM to map and monitor active geomorphic processes in emergent situations where high-resolution digital topography is needed in near-real-time.

The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) holds one of the largest world collections of geological samples and documents about Central Africa (Congo, Rwanda, Burundi), offering unique reference material. The Geology services of RMCA contain around 16,000 minerals, 300,000 rocks, 21,500 fossils, and 30,000 maps. Their Archives include field notes, books, maps, and aerial photography containing valuable complementary information. GeoDaRWIN is an “in-house” solution developed by RMCA as a collections management system for geological collections. Created using Microsoft Access, the model is currently transferred to open source software’s consisting of a PostgreSQL database and a customizable web-interface based on the Symfony 3 framework. Development began in 2018 and is still ongoing. Around 12,000 samples, 29,000 documents, and 30,500 localizations are already in the database. GeoDaRWIN manages three categories collection materials: 1) field observations with their localization (e.g., coordinates, lithostratigraphy, drilling, structural analysis), 2) samples (minerals, rocks, fossils) and the results of their analysis (e.g., constituent minerals of rocks, heavy minerals, granulometry, magnetic susceptibility), and 3) documents (e.g., maps, archives, aerial photos, satellite images, documentation). In the model, these three types of information (field observations, samples, and documents) retain the existing relationships between them. The aim of the project is to centralize all data in a single system on a service that can be available both on internet and intranet. It thus offers a common relational data model for these different geological items. The emphasis has been set on the integration of a hierarchical thesaurus of keywords, which can be mapped to several international vocabularies (e.g., INSPIRE, GEMET, examples coming from the GeoSciML documentation). A Github repository of the database web interface in Symfony 3.4 is available at: https://github.com/naturalsciences/ natural_heritage_geology. This system aims also to be compliant with the central data portal developed by the Royal Museum for Central Africa, the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, and Meise Botanical Garden. This portal will provide a common gateway to Belgian scientific data, one of the objectives of the project “Natural Heritage”, along with the development of databases for biological data (database called “DaRWIN”, more info on poster “DaRWIN, Open Source system for collections data management”) and geological data (“GeoDaRWIN”). See more info about project “Natural Heritage” in the poster "NaturalHeritage: Bridging Belgian Natural History Collections".