Application of radar imagery to geologic mapping near Abu Dhabi City, United Arab Emirates

Abstract EN

The SIR-A optical imagery gathered over the area southeast of Abu Dhabi City, U.A.E., which is mainly composed of Quaternary deposits, provided the raw data for this study.

These data were digitized and processed by the Remote Image Processing System (RIPS) using the Specdat software package, leading to the identification and mapping of several units.

In order of decreasing radar signal return, these are: urban areas, sabkha, vegetation, shallow water, calcareous rocks, tidal flats, and eolian sands.

Future availability of the SIR-C data both with different angles of incidence and with different microwave lengths will significantly add to the sources of information for geologic mapping as well as for other environmental studies in the area.