Application of ASTER SWIR bands in mapping anomaly pixels for Antarctic geological mapping

Abstract

Independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands of ASTER satellite data for detailed mapping of alteration mineral zones in the context of polar environments, where little prior information is available. The Oscar II coast area north-eastern Graham Land, Antarctic Peninsula (AP) was selected to conduct a remote sensing satellite-based mapping approach to detect alteration mineral assemblages. Anomaly pixels in the ICA image maps related to spectral features of Al-O-H, Fe, Mg-O-H and CO3 groups were detected using SWIR datasets of ASTER. ICA method provided image maps of alteration mineral assemblages and discriminate lithological units with little available geological data for poorly mapped regions and/or without prior geological information for unmapped regions in northern and southern sectors of Oscar II coast area, Graham Land. The results of this investigation demonstrated the applicability of ASTER spectral data for lithological and alteration mineral mapping in poorly exposed lithologies and inaccessible regions, particularly using the image processing algorithm that are capable to detect anomaly pixels targets in the remotely sensed images, where no prior information is available.