Abstract
Variation in the mineral composition of rocks results in a change of their spectral response capable of being studied by imaging spectroscopy. This paper proposes the use of a low-cost handy sensor, a calibrated visible-very near infrared (VIS-VNIR) multispectral camera for the recognition of different geological formations. The spectral data was recorded by a Tetracam Mini-MCA-6 camera mounted on a field-based platform covering six bands in the spectral range of 0.530–0.801 µm. Twelve sedimentary formations were selected in the Rhône-Alpes region (France) to analyse the discrimination potential of this camera for rock types and close-range mapping applications. After proper corrections and data processing, a supervised classification of the multispectral data was performed trying to distinguish four classes: limestones, marlstones, vegetation and shadows. After a maximum-likelihood classification, results confirmed that this camera can be efficiently exploited to map limestone-marlstone alternations in geological formations with this mineral composition.
Highlights
The knowledge of the mineralogical composition of sedimentary rocks is relevant to many disciplines and sectors
In the fields of Geology and Orogeny to discover this composition is the key for interpreting plate tectonic settings
The relationship between the mineralogical composition of sediments and the tectonic plates provides a powerful tool for recognizing ancient tectonic settings [1]
Summary
The knowledge of the mineralogical composition of sedimentary rocks is relevant to many disciplines and sectors. In the fields of Geology and Orogeny to discover this composition is the key for interpreting plate tectonic settings. The relationship between the mineralogical composition of sediments and the tectonic plates provides a powerful tool for recognizing ancient tectonic settings [1]. Ascertaining composition of geological formations in ancient sedimentary basins is generally difficult due to chemical and physical modification of source materials during weathering, erosion, transport and deposition [2]. For other fields such as Environmental Economics, the study of outcrops threatened by human activity and natural hazards as erosion, salinization and landslides is an important contribution. The clay and calcium carbonate contents of the soil are used to describe soil types and reveal their vulnerability to erosion [3, 4]
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