Remote Sensing Applications:

Tectonic & Volcanic Landscapes

Magaly Koch, PhD

Center for Remote Sensing
Boston University, USA

mkoch@bu.edu
East African Rift Valley
 Volcanic Landforms

There are a great variety of landforms created by volcanism, depending on the type of
eruption and the properties of extrusives. The volcanic landforms are associated
with types of volcanic rocks, which are highly variable and so are their hydrogeological
properties. Some volcanic terrains show absence of surface drainage pattern, although the
present annual precipitation may be high. Even in the craters no surface water can be
detected, suggesting thus high permeability.
Other volcanic terrains show near-vertical fault walls causing a shadow effect (e.g. rift faults
in the Ethiopian Rift Valley). The tensional nature of the rift faults is well known, and there is
evidence that some rift faults serve as conduits of groundwater. Lakes of freshwater may
form due to inflow of river water and outflow of groundwater, mainly through vertical faults.
However, the presence of volcanic plugs (see image on next slide) and lava extrusions
cautions against assuming that all rift faults are conduits, as some of them may be filled
(sealed) by lava. Lava flows can be differentiated by simple stratigraphical principles and by
their freshness and viscosity.
The rift faults are clearly
seen; near-vertical fault
walls cause a shadow
effect.
Faulting was re-activated
after formation of the
young crater no. 1, while
a small fault can be
detected on the flank of
crater no. 2.
Lineaments in the form
of long straight drainage
corridors in weathered
terrain are often
considered as fracture
zones.
The presence of volcanic
plugs (lower right corner)
and lava extrusions seem to
indicate that these rift faults
are filled by lava (not all rifts
faults are conduits of
groundwater).
Different lava flows can be
detected by their color and
surface texture. Since the
lava flows abut against the
explosion craters, the
pyroclastic deposits (tuff,
lapilli, etc.) associated
with explosions, must be
older than the flows and
could possibly be found
below the lavas.
 Case Study: Aksum, Ethiopia

 Aksum, in the Tigray highlands of northern Ethiopia, was the

political, cultural and commercial centre of the Aksumite
state in the first millennium A.D.
 Today, however, Tigray is considered one of Ethiopia’s most
environmentally degraded regions, and is prone to severe
erosion, droughts, and famine.
 The extent to which millennia of human land use activities
played a role in environmental change in this region is being
investigated by means of Remote Sensing technology.
 This knowledge will aid in understanding current
environmental problems affecting the highlands of Tigray.
Case Study: Aksum, Ethiopia
 Archaeological Field Data Collection

Tracks

Quarries

Wine-presses

Water
reservoirs

Terraces
 38º 40´ E 38º 45´ E

ASTER image of the study

14º 10´ N
area showing several
volcanic domes
Bieta
Giyorgis
Mai
Qoho
Dura
Aksum

0 3 km

N
W E
S

3-D view of Ikonos image

showing Bieta Giyorgis hill
 Geology of Aksum, Ethiopia

 Aksum area is composed of two main lithologic units of

Tertiary age. The Koyetsa volcanics (stratified flood basalts)
form a gently undulating plateau surface that is intruded by
numerous volcanic necks belonging to the Adwa trachyte
formation (trachytic and phonolitic plugs).
 These plugs stand out as circular hills due to their rock
composition that is more resistant to erosion than the
surrounding plateau basalts. The Bieta Giyorgis hill is one of
them.
 Large parts of the Tigray highland are covered by a thick layer
of Tertiary basalts (flood basalts). Beneath the basalt layer is
a sequence of Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks
that overlay unconformably the Precambrian basement
rocks.
 Flood Basalt Terrains

In warm sub-humid to semi-arid climates the soil of the basalts belongs to vertisols or black
cotton soils. Under wetter conditions, deep laterites and bauxites are found. When dry, deep
cracks are formed, sometimes several meters deep allowing the passage of rainwater before
the cracks close. Because of the swelling nature of the clay minerals, the wetted topsoil
expands during rainfall causing closure of the cracks, rendering the soil impermeable.
The high moisture retention of the soil makes it suitable for agriculture. Thus large parts of
the plateau are used for agriculture. Slope erosion is a problem which have led farmers to
use terracing techniques along the slopes to prevent the top soil from being washed away.
In eroded areas piping gullies may occur in the weathered zone draining shallow
groundwater. In non-eroded areas, the basalt often has a thick soil, causing disappearance of
the surface expression of fractures below the soil.
The geomorphology of flood basalt terrain consists of structural levels or terraces. The
structural levels reflect the differences in resistance to denudation of the vesicular and
massive basalts.
Geological Field Data Collection
Volcanic plugs in the study area
 GIS Data Layers & Analysis
(
!

(
!
(
!(
!
(
!
(!
!
(
! (!
(! (
!
((
( !
! ( !(! (
!(!
!(!(!
(
! !
( ( !
! ( (
!(!
(!(!(
(
! (!
! (!
( ( (
! (!
!(
( !
! (!( ! (!
!
(
! (!((!
!(
(
! (
! (
!
(
!
(
!
(
! (
!(
!
(
!
(
! (
!(
!
(
! (
!
(
! (
!
(
! (
!(!
! (
!
( (!
!(!
(
!(
! (
!(
!(
!(
! (
! (
! (
! (
!(
! (
!(
! (!
(!
(
! (!
(!(!(!(!
(
(!
! (!
(!
( (!
! (! (!
(! (!
(!
(!
( (
! (!
(
(!
!(!(!(! (
!
!
( (
! (!
!(
(
! (!
!(!(!
( (!
!(! (
!
(
! (!(! (
!
(
! (
!
(
! (!
(
(
! (!
! (!
! (
!
!
( ((!
! ((!(!(!
(! (!
(
! ( !
! (!(!
( (!(
(
! (
!
(
!
(
! (!(!(!(!
(!(!(!(
(
!
(!
! (!(! (!(!
(!
(!(!(!
(
(!
(!
(!
(! (!
(!(
(! (!
(! (!
(! (!
(! (!
(
! ! (!
! (!
( (
!(
! (!
(!
! ((!
! (!
(
!
(
! (
! (
! (!
! (!
! (!
(!
(
((
!! (
! (!(!(!
( !(!(!(! ((!
(!
!
(
!
(
!
(
! (
! (!(
(
!(
! (
!
(
! (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
!
(
! (
! ! (!
((!( (!
!
(!
!(!(! (
! (
! (
! (
! (
!(
!(!
!(!(! (
( (!
! ( (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (!
! (!(!(
(
! (
! ( (!
! (
!(
!
(!
! (
! (
! (!
! ( (
!
( (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(!
!(!
(! (
! (
! (
! (
!
( (
! (
!(
! (
!
(
! (
!
(
! (
! (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(!(
(
! (
! (
! (
! (
!
(!
! ! (!
!(!
(!
(!
( (
!
( (!
! (
! (
! (
!
(
! ( (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
(
! (
! (
!
( !
! ( (
!
(
! (
! (
! (
! (
! (
! (
!
(!
! (
! (
! (
!
(!(! (
! (
! (
!
(!
(
( (
! (!
! (!
! (!(! (
!
(
! (
! (
! (! ( (
! (
!
(!
! (!
(!
(
(!
(!
(!
(
!
(
! (!
!
(
!
(
! (!
!
(
!
(
(!
( (
! (
! (
!
(
! (
!
(
!
(!
!( (!
!( (
! (!
!( (
!
(
!
(
!
(!
!
(!
!( (!
! (!
(!
(
(
!
(! (!(!
(! !
( (
! ( (
!
(!
!( (!
!
(
!( ! (!
(( ! (
! (
!
(!
! ( !
! (!
(! (! (! (
! (
!
( (! (!
! (!
(!
( !
(((!
(! (
! (
!
(
! (
! ( !
! (! (
!
(!
! (
! ( (
! (!
!(
(
(!
! (!
! (
! (!
(!
(
(! (
(!
(! ( ! (
! (!
!( (
! (!
! (! (
!
( (
! ! (! (!
(!( (
! (!
!
(!
! (
! (!
!(!(!
(!( (
! ( (
! (!
! (
!
((!
(!
(! (
! (!
(!
! (!
( !
( (!
!(!(!(!(! (!(! (!
(!
(!
(
(!
!(! (!(! ( !
(! ((
!
(!
(!(! (!
!(! (!
! (!
( (! ! (!
(! (! (! (
!
( ((!
! ( ! (!
(!
( (!( (!(!
(!(! (
!
(
!
(!
! (
! (!
! (!
!
(
(!(! (
! (
! (
(!
!
(
! (!
(! (!
! (
(!
(! (
(!(!
(! (
!
(!
(! (!
(! (!(!
(
(!
! (
(!
! (!(!
(!(!(!(!(
(!
! (
(
!
(!
! (!
(

Ikonos Satellite Image Seasonal Rivers Traditional Tracks

(
!
!
( (!
! (
(
! (!
!(!(
(
! ( !
! (
!!
(( (!
!( !
( !
! ( ( !
! ( (!(!
(
(
!
(
!
( !
! (!
!
((
!!
( ( (
! (
!(
!
(
! (
! (!
! (
(
! (!
! (!
( !(
(
! (
! (
!
!
( (!
! (!
( !( ! ( ! ( (!
! (!
( !
! ( (!
! (
(!
!(( (
! !!(( (
! ! ( (
! (( !
(!
! (
(
!
(!
! ( ! (!
!( ! (! (
!
! (
( !
(
! ( ! ( (
! (!
! (
(
! ( !
! ( !
! (!
( (
!
( (
! (!
! ( ! (!
!(!(!
( ((
! (
(
! ( !
! ( !
! (
(
!
(
! (!
! (!
!(!
(
(!( !
(! (
(
!
(
!
((
!! !(
!
(
(!
! (
!!
( ( (
!
(
! !
(
(
!
(
!
(
!
!
(
(
!
(
!
(
!
( !
! ((
!
(
! (
! (
!
(
!
(
!
!
(
(
! (
!
(
!
(
! (
!
(!
!(
(
! !
(
(!
!((
!

Recorded ArchaeologicalSites Soil Map

 Remote Sensing Analysis

An investigation of the geologic and pedologic characteristics of

the Bieta Giyorgis hill and surroundings in Aksum was
conducted and field data / observations were collected during
two field trips in May 2001 and May 2006. The investigation
consisted in mapping main landscape units and land cover
classes from field surveys, aerial photographs and high- and
medium resolution images (IKONOS, ASTER), collecting soil
samples for laboratory analysis, and creating a digital elevation
map (DEM) from topographic maps for terrain analysis. The final
objective was to establish the relationship between
environmental setting and archaeological site distribution.
True color
IKONOS
image
Panchromatic
IKONOS B

image with
field sampling
sites

A
 50
S02 (Laboratory)

40
S02 (ASTER)

S05 (ASTER)
Reflectance (%)

30

20

S05 (Laboratory)

10

0
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5
Wavelength (µm)
Spectral & Mineralogical Soil Sample Analysis
 Vegetation

Soil with rock

Classified soil fragments

groups based
Dark soil

Dark/brown soil

on IKONOS Compact/eroded

image
soil

Yellowish/brown
soil
Main Rock
& Soil Units
Shown on I
K
ASTER H L
J
B
image D
G A
F C

E M
 Classified Limonitic soil/sandstone A
Red soil/sandstone A
soil groups Red-yellow soil/sandstone A
Sandy-clayey soil/sandstone B
based on Basaltic soil A (upper valley)
Basaltic soil B (lower valley)

ASTER Basaltic soil C (plain)

Basaltic soil D (stream)
Basalt ridge/basaltic soil E
image Trachyte/shales
Syenite (stream)
14º 8´ N

Colluvium/syenite
Colluvium/syenite/vegetation
Brown soil A (Bieta Giyorgis)
Brown soil B (Bieta Giyorgis)
Vegetation
N
W E
0 S 2 km
38º 42´ E
 Land Cover Map

Brown soil B (B.G.)

 3-D view of
soil map
derived from
IKONOS
image
 Satellite Data Portals: NASA WorldView

Data Visualization & Download Tool

https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov/

 Worldview provides you with the ability to

interactively browse global, full resolution satellite
imagery and download the underlying data & image
files
 Most of the 100+ available products are updated
within 3 hrs of observation
Layers can be repositioned,
by dragging, to change the
draw order
clicking on the sliderbar symbol will open a
dialogue to allow for changing the layer’s
opacity, thresholds and color palette
DEMO
THANK YOU AND QUESTIONS?