In order to better understand the geological boundary conditions for ongoing or past surface processes geologists face two important questions: 1) How can we gain additional knowledge about geological processes by analyzing digital elevation models (DEM) and satellite images and 2) Do these efforts present a viable approach for more efficient research. Here, we will present case studies at a variety of scales and levels of resolution to illustrate how we can substantially complement and enhance classical geological approaches with remote sensing techniques.<br><br> Commonly, satellite and DEM based studies are being used in a first step of assessing areas of geologic interest. While in the past the analysis of satellite imagery (e.g. Landsat TM) and aerial photographs was carried out to characterize the regional geologic characteristics, particularly structure and lithology, geologists have increasingly ventured into a process-oriented approach. This entails assessing structures and geomorphic features with a concept that includes active tectonics or tectonic activity on time scales relevant to humans. In addition, these efforts involve analyzing and quantifying the processes acting at the surface by integrating different remote sensing and topographic data (e.g. SRTM-DEM, SSM/I, GPS, Landsat 7 ETM, Aster, Ikonos…). A combined structural and geomorphic study in the hyperarid Atacama desert demonstrates the use of satellite and digital elevation data for assessing geological structures formed by long-term (millions of years) feedback mechanisms between erosion and crustal bending (Zeilinger et al., 2005). The medium-term change of landscapes during hundred thousands to millions years in a more humid setting is shown in an example from southern Chile. Based on an analysis of rivers/watersheds combined with landscapes parameterization by using digital elevation models, the geomorphic evolution and change in drainage pattern in the coastal Cordillera can be quantified and put into the context of seismotectonic segmentation of a tectonically active region. This has far-reaching implications for earthquake rupture scenarios and hazard mitigation (K. Rehak, see poster on IMAF Workshop). Two examples illustrate short-term processes on decadal, centennial and millennial time scales: One study uses orogen scale precipitation gradients derived from remotely sensed passive microwave data (Bookhagen et al., 2005a). They demonstrate how debris flows were triggered as a response of slopes to abnormally strong rainfall in the interior parts of the Himalaya during intensified monsoons. The area of the orogen that receives high amounts of precipitation during intensified monsoons also constitutes numerous landslide deposits of up to 1km³ volume that were generated during intensified monsoon phase at about 27 and 9 ka (Bookhagen et al., 2005b). Another project in the Swiss Alps compared sets of aerial photographs recorded in different years. By calculating high resolution surfaces the mass transport in a landslide could be reconstructed (M. Schwab, Universität Bern).<br><br> All these examples, although representing only a short and limited selection of projects using remote sense data in geology, have as a common approach the goal to quantify geological processes. With increasing data resolution and new sensors future projects will even enable us to recognize more patterns and / or structures indicative of geological processes in tectonically active areas. This is crucial for the analysis of natural hazards like earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides, as well as those hazards that are related to climatic variability. The integration of remotely sensed data at different spatial and temporal scales with field observations becomes increasingly important. Many of presently highly populated places and increasingly utilized regions are subject to significant environmental pressure and often constitute areas of concentrated economic value. Combined remote sensing and ground-truthing in these regions is particularly important as geologic, seismicity and hydrologic data may be limited here due to the recency of infrastructural development. Monitoring ongoing processes and evaluating the remotely sensed data in terms of recurrence of events will greatly enhance our ability to assess and mitigate natural hazards. <br><br> <hr> <br> Dokument 1: Foliensatz | Dokument 2: Abstract <br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Der Referent ist stellvertretender Leiter des Departments Angewandte Landschaftsökologie des UFZ - Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig-Halle am Fachbereich Umweltsystemmodellierung<br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 20066

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

The rigorous development, application and validation of distributed hydrological models obligates to evaluate data in a spatially distributed way. In particular, spatial model predictions such as the distribution of soil moisture, runoff generating areas or nutrient-contributing areas or erosion rates, are to be assessed against spatially distributed observations. Also model inputs, such as the distribution of modelling units derived by GIS and remote sensing analyses, should be evaluated against groundbased observations of landscape characteristics. So far, however, quantitative methods of spatial field comparison have rarely been used in hydrology. <br><br> In this paper, we present algorithms that allow to compare observed and simulated spatial hydrological data. The methods can be applied for binary and categorical data on regular grids. They comprise cell-by-cell algorithms, cell-neighbourhood approaches that account for fuzziness of location, and multi-scale algorithms that evaluate the similarity of spatial fields with changing resolution. All methods provide a quantitative measure of the similarity of two maps.<br><br> The comparison methods are applied in two mountainous catchments in southern Germany (Brugga, 40 km²) and Austria (Löhnersbach, 16 km²). As an example of binary hydrological data, the distribution of saturated areas is analyzed in both catchments. For categorical data, vegetation zones that are associated with different runoff generation mechanisms are analyzed in the Löhnersbach. Mapped spatial patterns are compared to simulated patterns from terrain index calculations and from satellite image analysis. It is discussed how particular features of visual similarity between the spatial fields are captured by the quantitative measures, leading to recommendations on suitable algorithms in the context of evaluating distributed hydrological models. <br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Fluvial systems are one of the major features shaping a landscape. They adjust to the prevailing tectonic and climatic setting and therefore are very sensitive markers of changes in these systems. If their response to tectonic and climatic forcing is quantified and if the climatic signal is excluded, it is possible to derive a local deformation history.<br> Here, we investigate fluvial terraces and erosional surfaces in the southern Chilean forearc to assess a long-term geomorphic and hence tectonic evolution. Remote sensing and field studies of the Nahuelbuta Range show that the long-term deformation of the Chilean forearc is manifested by breaks in topography, sequences of differentially uplifted marine, alluvial and strath terraces as well as tectonically modified river courses and drainage basins.<br> We used SRTM-90-data as basic elevation information for extracting and delineating drainage networks. We calculated hypsometric curves as an indicator for basin uplift, stream-length gradient indices to identify stream segments with anomalous slopes, and longitudinal river profiles as well as DS-plots to identify knickpoints and other anomalies. In addition, we investigated topography with elevation-slope graphs, profiles, and DEMs to reveal erosional surfaces.<br> During the first field trip we already measured palaeoflow directions, performed pebble counting and sampled the fluvial terraces in order to apply cosmogenic nuclide dating (¹⁰Be, ²⁶Al) as well as provenance analyses.<br> Our preliminary analysis of the Coastal Cordillera indicates a clear segmentation between the northern and southern parts of the Nahuelbuta Range. The Lanalhue Fault, a NW-SE striking fault zone oblique to the plate boundary, defines the segment boundary. Furthermore, we find a complex drainage re-organisation including a drainage reversal and wind gap on the divide between the Tirúa and Pellahuén basins east of the town Tirúa. The coastal basins lost most of their Andean sediment supply areas that existed in Tertiary and in part during early Pleistocene time. Between the Bío-Bío and Imperial rivers no Andean river is recently capable to traverse the Coastal Cordillera, suggesting ongoing Quaternary uplift of the entire range.<br> From the spatial distribution of geomorphic surfaces in this region two uplift signals may be derived: (1) a long-term differential uplift process, active since the Miocene and possibly caused by underplating of subducted trench sediments, (2) a younger, local uplift affecting only the northern part of the Nahuelbuta Range that may be caused by the interaction of the forearc with the subduction of the Mocha Fracture Zone at the latitude of the Arauco peninsula. Our approach thus provides results in our attempt to decipher the characteristics of forearc development of active convergent margins using long-term geomorphic indicators. Furthermore, it is expected that our ongoing assessment will constrain repeatedly active zones of deformation. <br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Dr. Gabriele Arnold ist Leiterin des Bereichs Optische Informationssyteme am Institut für Planetenforschung des Deutschen Zentrums für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Berlin-Adlershof <br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006

In ihrem Bemühen, landwirtschaftliche Flächen standortgerecht zu bewirtschaften, sammelt eine zunehmende Anzahl landwirtschaftlicher Betriebe Informationen über die räumlich-zeitliche Verteilung von Boden- und Pflanzenmerkmalen auf ihren Schlägen. Diese Informationen dienen unmittelbar (Echtzeitansatz) oder mittelbar (Kartenansatz) zur Dosierung von Dünge- und Pflanzenschutzmitteln (Präzise Landbewirtschaftung). Zur Datensammlung werden vorrangig fahrzeuggestützte Sensoren und VIS- und NIR-Luftbilder, aufgenommen aus Sportflugzeugen, verwendet.<br><br> Erste Betriebe erwerben von Dienstleistungsunternehmen aufbereitete Satelliten-Fernerkundungsdaten. Die landwirtschaftliche und agrartechnische Forschung ist bestrebt, die grundlegenden Muster (z.B. des Ertragspotentials) zu erkennen und damit den Aufwand der Betriebe für eine regelmäßige Informationserfassung gering zu halten. <br><br> <hr> <br> Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Musterdynamik und Angewandte Fernerkundung<br> Workshop vom 9. - 10. Februar 2006