The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Post-processing of mineral mixtures maps for mapping surficial materials: the example of the Matmata loess, Southern Tunisia

Post-processing of mineral mixtures maps for mapping surficial materials: the example of the Matmata loess, Southern Tunisia
Post-processing of mineral mixtures maps for mapping surficial materials: the example of the Matmata loess, Southern Tunisia
Spectral mixture modelling algorithms can be applied to multispectral image data to provide estimates of mineral proportions within pixels. Most surficial materials are mixtures of different minerals, but their spatial distribution can be mapped by applying simple thresholding techniques to mineral proportions maps, as long as their mineralogical composition and surficial exposure are known. An example is given of the Matmata loess in southern Tunisia. Thick deposits of loess are found in valleys and basins of the Matmata plateau, and they have been shown to record Late Quaternary climatic changes as a sequence of weathered palaeosols developed between layers of unweathered loess. However, few sites have been studied in detail thus far, and more potential sites need to be identified for further investigation in the field. Remote sensing helps overcome the problem of inaccessibility in this rugged and arid terrain to facilitate such reconnaissance. Mineral proportions maps derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper data are calibrated against field samples and thresholded to show pixels that have the same mineral composition as the loess. The results indicate that loess is not only found as valley and basin fill on the Matmata Plateau; but also as loess-derived soils and stone pavement matrix in the area surrounding the plateau. To discriminate the valley and basin fill of palaeo environmental significance from these other loess-rich surficial materials, it is necessary to include digital elevation data in the analysis
0143-1161
3091-3106
White, K.H.
e1a91189-eeab-4754-8b1c-691da84a9f73
Livingstone, I.P.
1be6ff54-045f-4f69-a8d1-9650592a0e38
Gurney, S.
533e5a1a-91d6-43cc-8ca1-3a3285fec4a0
Dearing, J.A.
dff37300-b8a6-4406-ad84-89aa01de03d7
White, K.H.
e1a91189-eeab-4754-8b1c-691da84a9f73
Livingstone, I.P.
1be6ff54-045f-4f69-a8d1-9650592a0e38
Gurney, S.
533e5a1a-91d6-43cc-8ca1-3a3285fec4a0
Dearing, J.A.
dff37300-b8a6-4406-ad84-89aa01de03d7

White, K.H., Livingstone, I.P., Gurney, S. and Dearing, J.A. (2002) Post-processing of mineral mixtures maps for mapping surficial materials: the example of the Matmata loess, Southern Tunisia. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 23 (15), 3091-3106.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Spectral mixture modelling algorithms can be applied to multispectral image data to provide estimates of mineral proportions within pixels. Most surficial materials are mixtures of different minerals, but their spatial distribution can be mapped by applying simple thresholding techniques to mineral proportions maps, as long as their mineralogical composition and surficial exposure are known. An example is given of the Matmata loess in southern Tunisia. Thick deposits of loess are found in valleys and basins of the Matmata plateau, and they have been shown to record Late Quaternary climatic changes as a sequence of weathered palaeosols developed between layers of unweathered loess. However, few sites have been studied in detail thus far, and more potential sites need to be identified for further investigation in the field. Remote sensing helps overcome the problem of inaccessibility in this rugged and arid terrain to facilitate such reconnaissance. Mineral proportions maps derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper data are calibrated against field samples and thresholded to show pixels that have the same mineral composition as the loess. The results indicate that loess is not only found as valley and basin fill on the Matmata Plateau; but also as loess-derived soils and stone pavement matrix in the area surrounding the plateau. To discriminate the valley and basin fill of palaeo environmental significance from these other loess-rich surficial materials, it is necessary to include digital elevation data in the analysis

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2002

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 55642
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/55642
ISSN: 0143-1161
PURE UUID: 41126c97-60ea-4c1d-bb28-6b437c2c5e44
ORCID for J.A. Dearing: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1466-9640

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 04 Aug 2008
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 03:00

Export record

Contributors

Author: K.H. White
Author: I.P. Livingstone
Author: S. Gurney
Author: J.A. Dearing ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×