Lithological and structural mapping in tropical environments with integration of ASTER and PALSAR satellite data

Abstract

This research investigates the integration and fusion of the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) satellite data for geological mapping applications in tropical environments. The eastern part of the Central Belt of peninsular Malaysia has been investigated to identify structural features and mineral mapping using PALSAR and ASTER data. Adaptive local sigma and directional filters were applied to PALSAR data for detecting geological structure elements in the study area. Vegetation, mineralogic and lithologic indices for ASTER bands were tested in tropical climate. Lineaments (fault and fractures) and curvilinear (anticline or syncline) were detected using PALSAR fused image of directional filters (N-S, NE-SW, and NW-SE). Vegetation index image map show vegetation cover by fusing ASTER VNIR bands. High concentration of clay minerals zone was detected using fused image map derived from ASTER SWIR bands. Fusion of ASTER TIR bands produced image map of the lithological units. Results indicate that data integration and data fused from PALSAR and ASTER sources enhanced information extraction for geological mapping in tropical environments.