Use of satellite infrared data for geomorphology studies

Abstract

Enhanced nighttime thermal infrared imagery and digital data from a NOAA polar orbiting satellite were used to map drainage patterns and landforms in North and South Dakota. Features delineated include the Missouri Escarpment from Saskatchewan to the Nebraska border, the Manitoba Escarpment, Coteau des Prairies, recessional moraines on the Coteau du Missouri and partial drainage boundaries for the following rivers: James, Big Sioux, Minnesota, Red of the North, Souris, and the main stem of the Missouri plus its western tributaries in the Dakotas. In several instances drainage from gentle slopes in the Midwest was discerned and correlated with local relief. Analyses of satellite digital thermal data for western tributaries of the Missouri River revealed north-facing slopes to be warmer than south-facing slopes by an average of 1.5°C. Comparisons of ground and satellite temperatures for 11 stations in South Dakota showed good agreement.