Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Geological remote sensing is a powerful tool for lithological discrimination, especially in arid regions with minimal vegetative cover to obscure rock exposures. Commercial multispectral imaging satellites provide a broad spectral range with which to target specific rock types. Landsat ETM+ (7), ASTER, and SPOT 5 multispectral images were acquired and digitally processed: band ratioing, principle components analysis, and maximum likelihood supervised classification. The sensors were evaluated on the ability to discriminate between sedimentary rocks in a structurally complex setting. The study focusses on the formations of the Naukluft Nappe Complex, Namibia. Previous work of the area had to be consulted in order to identify the main target rock types. Dolomite, limestone, quartzite, and shale were determined to make up the majority of rock types in the area. Landsat, ASTER, and SPOT 5 imagery were acquired and pre-processed. Each was subjected to transform techniques: band ratios and PCA. Band ratios were tailored to highlighted target rock types as well as a number of control ratios to ensure the integrity of important ratios. PCA components were inspected to find the most useful ones which were combined into FCCs. Transform results, expert knowledge, and a geological map were consulted to identify training and accuracy samples for the supervised classifications. All three classifications made use of the same set of training and accuracy samples to facilitate useful comparisons. Transform results were promising for Landsat and ASTER images, while SPOT 5 struggled. The limited spectral resolution of SPOT 5 limited its use for identifying target rock types, with the superior spatial resolution contributing very little. Landsat benefitted from good spectral resolution. This allowed for good performance with highlighting limestone and dolomite, while being less successful with shale. Quartzite was a real problem as the spectral resolution of Landsat could not cover this range as well. ASTER, having the highest spectral resolution, could distinguish between all four target rock types. Landsat and ASTER results suffered in areas where formations were relatively thin (smaller than sensor spatial resolution). The supervised classification results were similar to the transforms in that both Landsat and ASTER provided useful results, while SPOT 5 failed to yield definitive results. Accuracy assessment determined that ASTER performed the best at 98.72%. Landsat produced an accuracy of 93.29% while SPOT 5 was 80.17% accuracy. Landsat completely overestimated the amount of quartzite present, while all results classified significant proportions Quaternary sediments as shale. Limestone was well represented in even the poorest results, while dolomite usually struggled in areas where it was in close association with quartzite. Silica yields relatively strong responses in the TIR spectrum which could lead to misclassification of dolomite, which also has strong TIR signatures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geologiese afstandswaarneming is 'n kragtige tegniek vir litologiese diskriminasie, veral in droë streke met minimale plantbedekking om dagsome te verduister. Kommersiële multispektrale satelliete beelde bied 'n breë spektrale reeks waarmee spesifieke gesteentetipes geteiken kan word. Landsat ETM + (7), ASTER, en SPOT 5 multispektrale beelde was bekom en digitaal verwerk: bandverhoudings, hoofkomponente-ontleding, en maksimum waarskynlikheid klassifikasie. Die sensors is geëvalueer op hul vermoë om te onderskei tussen sedimentêre gesteentes in 'n struktureel komplekse omgewing. Die studie fokus op die formasies van die Naukluft Dekblad Kompleks, Namibië. Vorige werk van die area was geraadpleeg om die hoofgesteentetipes te identifiseer. Dit was bepaal dat dolomiet, kalksteen, kwartsiet, en skalie die oorgrote meerderheid van kliptipes in area opgemaak het. Landsat, ASTER, en SPOT 5 beelde is verkry en voorverwerk. Elke beeld was onderwerp aan transformasietegnieke: bandverhoudings en hoofkomponente-ontleding. Bandverhoudings is aangepas om teiken rotstipes uit te lig asook 'n aantal kontrole bandverhoudings om die integriteit van belangrike verhoudings te verseker. Hoofkomponente-ontleding komponente is ondersoek om die mees bruikbares te vind en dié was gekombineer in valse kleur samestellings. Transformasie resultate, deskundige kennis, en 'n geologiese kaart was geraadpleeg om opleidings- en verwysingsmonsters was verkry vanaf die beelde vir die klassifikasies. Al drie klassifikasies gebruik gemaak van dieselfde stel van die opleiding- en akkuraatheidsmonsters om sodoende betekenisvolle vergelykings te verseker. Transformasie resultate is belowend vir Landsat en ASTER beelde, terwyl SPOT 5 minder bruikbaar was. Die noue spektrale resolusie van SPOT 5 beperk die gebruik daarvan vir die identifisering van teiken gesteentetipes terwyl die hoë ruimtelike resolusie baie min bydra. Landsat het voordeel getrek uit goeie spektrale resolusie. Dit goeie resultate opgelwer met die klem op kalksteen en dolomiet, terwyl skalie aansienlik swakker resultate opgelewer het. Kwartsiet was 'n werklike probleem omdat die spektrale resolusie van Landsat nie breed genoeg was om hierdie kliptipe te onderskei nie. ASTER, met die hoogste spektrale resolusie, kon onderskei tussen al vier teiken rotstipes. Landsat en ASTER resultate was baie negatief beïnvloed in gebiede waar formasies relatief dun was (kleiner as sensor ruimtelike resolusie). Die klassifikasie resultate was soortgelyk aan die transformasies in dat beide Landsat en ASTER nuttige resultate opgelewer het, terwyl SPOT 5 misluk het. Akkuraatheids assessering het bepaal dat ASTER die beste gevaar het met 98,72%. Landsat het 'n akkuraatheid van 93,29% opgelewer, terwyl SPOT 5 80,17% akkuraat was. Landsat het die hoeveelheid kwartsiet heeltemal oorskat, terwyl al die resultate groot hoeveelhede Kwaternêre sedimente as skalie geklassifiseer het. Kalksteen is goed verteenwoordig in tot die armste resultate, terwyl resultate gewoonlik afgeneem het waar dolomiet in noue verband met kwartsiet was. Dit is moontlik asgevolg van silika se relatiewe sterk reaksies in die termiese infra-rooi spektrum wat kan lei tot die foutiewe klassifisering met dolomiet (wat ook sterk reageer in die TIR spektrum).

O estudo do fenômeno de expansão em solos argilosos tem-se restringido, na maioria das vezes, a estudos laboratoriais referentes ao comportamento mecânico do solo e as correlações com as propriedades índices e as classificações geotécnicas. Poucos são os estudos na área de mapeamento geotécnico em média e grande escala, existindo um vazio nas metodologias de mapeamento geotécnico no que se refere a esta classe de solos. Durante o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa sobre as características expansivas da Fm. Libertad, Quaternário (Uruguai), foram combinados os produtos obtidos das técnicas de mapeamento com os propriedades identificadas nos ensaios de caracterização e as medidas de expansão. A técnica de avaliação de terreno usando Landforms para separar unidades homogêneas, resultou em um grande auxílio permitindo direcionar os trabalhos e observações de campo e diminuir o numero de amostras a serem coletadas. O ensaio de caracterização da Capacidade de Troca Catiônica (CTC) da fração argila, usando a técnica de Azul de Metileno, mostrou-se coincidente com a identificação de argilo-minerais usando Difração de Raios X (DRX). Esses dados, associados aos valores de Pressão de Expansão e Expansão livre de amostra indeformadas, com umidade natural e secas ao ar, e de amostras compactadas com diferentes massas específicas seca (pd) e umidade constante (w=15%) permitiram identificar unidades com diferentes potenciais de expansão na Fm. Libertad. A combinação desses dados permitiu a produção da Carta de Potencial de Expansão do Solos, numa região de desenvolvimento urbano no Município de Montevidéu, Uruguai. Este documento fornece aos planejadores do uso e ocupação da área o conhecimento dos diferentes graus de restrição que devem ser levados em conta devido à presença de solos potencialmente expansivos. Elaborou-se uma proposta metodológica para a execução de trabalhos de mapeamento geotécnico de solos expansivos. / The swelling phenomenon of the clay soils has been studied mainly in laboratory with the objective of undestand the behavior of the soil and the correlations with the index properties and with the geotechnical classifications. In Engineering Geotechnical Mapping there is a lack of methodology about swell soil mapping in medium or large scale. In this research the swelling characteristics of the Libertad Formation (Uruguay) were studied by combination of the information obtained in the Engineering Geotechnical Mapping (scale 1:10.000) and the soil properties identified in the characterization and swelling tests. The technique of land evaluation using Landforms to separate homogeneous units, it resulted in a great aid allowing to guide the works and field observations and to reduce the number of samples to be collected. The characterization tests of cationic exchange capacity (CEC) of the clay, using the technique of adsorption of methilene blue, it was shown coincident with the identification of clay using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The swelling potentials of the Libertad Formation were determined based in the information of the values of swelling pressure and free swelling from undisturbed samples, both with natural moisture contents and air dried, besides the samples compacted with different apparent specific gravity (pd) and with constant moisture content (w= 15%). This procedure allowed the production of the Swelling Potential Chart of the soil in an suburban area of Montevideo City, Uruguay. This document can supply the information to the management of the area taken in account the different swelling potential of the soils. Finally it is presented a methodology to carry out Engineering Geological Mapping of the swelling soils.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The availability of multispectral data from the satellite-borne ASTER (Advanced Space borne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer) sensor with 14 spectral bands, launched on 18 December 1999, ushers in a new dimension in large-scale mineral exploration. The ASTER bands are strategically positioned to map distinctive absorptive features for mapping alteration mineralogy, which has increased the potential to map hydrothermal alteration zones as compared to the conventional Landsat TM satellite and aerial photographs. This research tests the ability of ASTER to map hydrothermal alteration zones by applying various image enhancement techniques and comparing them. The study area is the Haib copper prospect in Namibia. The Crosta technique, standard colour composites, spectral band ratioing, the software defoliant technique, log residuals and spectral linear unmixing were applied and compared against results from the previous detailed geophysical and geochemical exploration. The results from all the techniques corresponded with published geological maps from previous work and indicated ASTER's ability to detect alteration zonations. Comparison of the methods applied showed that choice of technique is usually dependent of the level of detail which one seeks to achieve. Standard colour composite and log residuals are more useful for a generalized overview of the alteration mineralogy, whilst uniquely defining mineral end members is achieved by application of the Crosta technique, ratioing and spectral linear unmixing. Application of the software defoliant techniques involved ratioing results, which are affected by spectral interferences from other minerals. The presence of a highly fractured system has been established by application of Sobel filtering. A spatial association of the extracted fracture system with alteration areas suggest mineralization at the Haib is fracture controlled. The results support the presence of argillicphyllic and prophylitic alteration zones on a regional scale, a scenario which can be equated to the Lowell-Guilbert model. The potassic-phyllic zone boundary could not be spectrally detected which also supports previous studies which suggest the potassic zone is nondefinitive and is over-printed by the phyllic zone. The results demonstrate that ASTER is an effective tool to map hydrothermal alteration systems in arid areas. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Multispektrale data van die ASTER (' Advanced Space Borne Thermal Emmission Reflection Radiometer') sensors bestaande uit 14 spektrale bande, afkomstig van 'n satelliet gelanseer op 18 Desember 1999 lui 'n nuwe era in vir grootskaalse minerale eksplorasie. Die ASTER bande is strategies sodanig op die spektrum geposisioneer om onderskeidende absorberende verskynsels van veranderde mineralisasie te identifiseer. Hierdie data het die potensiaal verhoog om hidrotermale veranderingstelsels meer suksesvol te karteer as met konvensionele Landsat TM beelde en lugfotos. Hierdie navorsing toets die vermoeëns van ASTER om hidrotermale veranderingstelsels te karteer deur 'n wye reeks beeldverrykings tegnieke toe te pas en te vergelyk. Die studiegebied IS die Haib koperafsetting in Namibië. Die Crosta tegniek, standaard kleursamestellings ('colour composites'), ratio-tegnieke, plantegroeistroping ('software defoiliant'), log residuele ('log residual '), en spektrale lineêre ontmenging ('spectral linear unmixing') is toegepas en die resultate met vorige gedetailleerde geofisiese en geo-chemiese veldopnames te vergelyk. Die verkreë resultate van al die verskillende tegnieke het grootliks met gepubliseerde geologiese kaarte van die gebied ooreengestem en bevestig dat ASTER data geskik is om sulke mineralogies veranderde gebiede te karteer. Vergelykings tussen die tegnieke het getoon dat die keuse van tegniek bepaal word deur die vlak en tipe detail wat verlang word. Standaard kleursamestellings en die log residuele tegnieke lewer goeie resultate om veralgemeende oorsigte van mineralogies veranderde sones te verskaf, terwyl die Crosta-, ratio- en spektrale lineêre ontmengingstegnieke meer suksesvol is om spesifieke minerale te identifiseer. Die plantegroei stropingtegniek is nodig in gevalle waar spektrale ratios deur plantegroeiresponse geaffekeer word. Die aanwesigheid van 'n intensief gefraktuurde sisteem is bepaal deur 'n Sobel filter toe te pas. Ruimtelike assosiasies tussen die voorkoms van die gefraktuurde sone met en die minealogies gewysigde sones dui aan dat mineralogiese wysiging in die Haib gebied deur frakturering beheer is. Die resultate steun die aanwesigheid van argillities-fillitiese enpropolities gewysigde sones op 'n streekskaal, 'n scenario wat deur die Lowell-Guilbertmodel voorgehou word. Die grense van die kalium-fillitiese sone kon nie spektraal waargeneem word nie. Dit steun ook vorige studies wat suggereer dat die kaliumsone nieafbakenbaar is en waarskynlik deur die fillitiese sone oorlê word. Die resultate bevestig onomwonde dat ASTER data benut kan word om hidrotermaal veranderde sones in semiariede gebiede effektief te karteer.

The Kaponda Prospect represents a surface of 915.8 km² located at about 10 km south of the town of Lubumbashi and 33km NW of Kasumbalesa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It lies within Neoproterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Katangan Supergroup in the Central African Copperbelt (CACB). In this province, copper mineralization occurs at different stratigraphic level with different associated alteration. Mineralization is of multistage origin from synsedimentary, diagenetic to post orogenic. Since the discovery of the CACB in the early 20th century, several exploration techniques have been used to delineate Cu deposits. A review and application of these methods including remote sensing, geological mapping, geochemical and geophysical surveys, and drilling, gives an insight of their effectiveness and limitation before analyzing their results from the Kaponda Prospect. The geology and structure of the Prospect is represented by a series of two NW trending disharmonic tight anticlines, locally domal, with cores occupied by either Roan Group or “Grand Conglomerat” Formation. These anticlines are separated by an open syncline made of Kundelungu rocks. Two mains direction of faults are recognized, the NW and NE trending structures. The latter direction are normal transfer faults which can serve as conduit for mineralization. They are related to the late orogenic extension of the Lufilian belt. However NE trending faults are believed to be associated to the climax of Lufilian folding or represents synsedimentary intergrowth faults. Exploration approach for sediment-hosted Cu within Kaponda Prospect, take into account the integration of all information derived from different techniques. Remote sensing is used as aid to geology. Landsat and Google earth images show lineaments that corresponds to lithostratigraphy boundary and domal anticline. Geological mapping identified reduced horizons which can potentially host mineralization, whereas analysis of structure measurements reveals the geometry of fold and direction of its axial plane and hinge. Statistical methods such as the main + 2 standard deviation, the frequency histogram and probability plot, together with experiential method are used to constrain and define Cu and Co thresholds values in soil samples. It appears that in this region, log-probability plot and histogram methods combined with spatial representation and the experience of the region, are the best practice to constrain and separate geochemical background from anomaly data. Ground and airborne magnetic, and radiometric images show specific signatures which map alteration and particularly lithostratigraphy such as “Roan” Group, “Grand Conglomerat” unit, “Nguba” cap carbonates and “Kundelungu” siliciclastic units. Analysis of faults interpreted from geophysical maps identified three major directions: E-W, NE-SW and NW-SE. The E-W faults are also interpreted as normal transfer faults such NE-SW structures, consistent with regional geological map. Although pole-dipole array of induced polarization (IP) survey was directly targeting disseminated Cu sulphide, its results suffer in responding to graphitic rocks and barren pyrite. Only relative small chargeable bodies need to be tested in drilling follow-up. A total of 15 targets have been generated through re-interpretation and integration of both geological mapping and remote sensing, geochemical and geophysical data, as well as existing drilling. Specific recommendations of follow-up works are advised for each type of target.

South Africa contains many archaeological resources including shell middens from the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA). These shell middens give researchers insight into the behaviour of modern humans where the first fossil evidence appears in Africa around 200 000 years ago (Klein, 2008). Research into shell middens is therefore vital to understand the origin of human kind. This study investigates whether Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is a useful tool for predicting locations of unknown shell midden sites using the characteristics of known areas of modern human habitation. This was done using suitability analysis and expert mapping techniques. Ground truthing of the results of the desktop analysis revealed that GIS is not a useful tool for predicting sites of modern habitation as the characteristics that determine human habitation are too variable.

Detailed field mapping (Map, Appendix B) has been conducted in and around the boundaries of a 14x18km, volcanic complex 35km northeast of Molteno in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The structure is interpreted as a subsidence structure, and is filled with two volcaniclastic breccias, numerous lava flows, a number of sedimentary facies, and lies on a base of Clarens Formation overlying Elliot Formation rocks. This is an important study because 'widespread, voluminous fields of basaltic breccias are very rare (see Hanson and Elliot, 1996) and this is the first time that this type of volcanic complex and its deposits have been described. Detailed analyses of the two volcaniclastic breccias revealed changes in colour, clast types, clast sizes, and degree of alteration over relatively short distances both vertically and laterally within a single breccia unit. The variation in clast sizes implies a lack of sorting of the breccias. The lower of the two volcaniclastic breccias fills the subsidence structure, and outcrops between the Stormberg sedimentary sequence and the overlying Drakensberg basalts and was produced from phreatomagmatic eruptions signalling the start of the break-up of Gondwanaland in the mid-Jurassic. The upper volcaniclastic breccia is interbedded with the flood basalts and is separated from the lower breccia by up to 100m of lava flows in places, it is finer-grained than the lower volcaniclastic breccia, and it extends over 10km south, and over 100km north from the volcanic complex. The upper breccia is inferred to have been transported from outside the study area, from a source presumably similar to the subsidence structure in the volcanic complex. The pyroclastic material forming the upper breccia was transported to the subsidence structure as a laharic debris flow, based on its poorly sorted, unwelded and matrix-supported appearance. However, both breccias are unlikely to have been derived from epiclastic reworking of lava flows as they contain glass shards which are atypical of those derived from the autoclastic component of lava flows. The breccias are therefore not "secondary" lahars. There is also no evidence of any palaeotopographic highs from which the breccias could have been derived as gravity-driven flows. Based on the occurrence of three, 1m thick lacustrine deposits, localised peperite, fluvial reworking of sandstone and breccia in an outcrop to the south of the subsidence structure, and channel-lags encountered only in the upper units of the Clarens Formation and only within the subsidence structure, the palaeoenvironment inferred for the subsidence structure is one of wet sediment, possibly a shallow lake, in a topographic depression fed by small streams. Magmatic intrusions below the subsidence structure heated the water-laden, partly consolidated Clarens Formation sandstones, causing the circulation of pore fluid which resulted in the precipitation of minerals forming pisoliths in the sandstones. Intruding magma mixed, nonexplosively, with the wet, unconsolidated sediments near the base of the Clarens Formation (at approximately 100m below the surface), forming fluidal peperite by a process of sediment fluidisation where magma replaces wet sediment and cools slowly enough to prevent the magma fracturing brittly. Formation of fluidal peperite may have been a precursor to the development of FCIs (Fuel Coolant Interactions) (Busby-Spera and White, 1987). The breccias may represent the products of FCIs and may be the erupted equivalents of the peperites, suggesting a possible genetic link between the two. The peperites may have given way to FCI eruptions due to a number of factors including the drying out of the sediments and/or an increase in the volume of intruded magma below the subsidence structure which may have resulted in a more explosive interaction between sediment and magma. Phreatic activity fragmented and erupted the Clarens Formation sandstone, and stream flows reworked the angular sandstone fragments, pisoliths and sand grains into channelised deposits. With an increase in magmatic activity below the subsidence structure, phreatic activity became phreatomagmatic. The wet, partly consolidated Clarens Formation, and underlying, fully consolidated Elliot Formation sediments were erupted and fragmented. Clasts and individual grains of these sediments were redeposited with juvenile and non-juvenile basaltic material probably by a combination of back fall, where clasts erupted into the air fell directly back into the structure, and backflow where material was erupted out of the structure, but immediately flowed back in as lahars. This material formed the lower volcaniclastic breccia. A fault plane is identified along the southwestern margin of the subsidence structure, and is believed to continue up the western margin to the northwestern corner. A large dolerite body has intruded along the inferred fault plane on the western margin of the structure, and may be related to the formation of the lower volcaniclastic breccia, either directly through fluidisation of wet sediment during its intrusion, or as a dyke extending upwards from a network of sill-like intrusions below the subsidence structure. Geochemical analysis of the Drakensberg basalt lava flows by Mitchell (1980) and Masokwane (1997) revealed four distinct basalt types; the Moshesh's Ford, the Tafelkop, the Roodehoek, and the Vaalkop basalts. Basalt clasts sampled from the lower volcaniclastic breccia were shown to belong to the Moshesh's Ford basalt type which does not outcrop in situ within the subsidence structure. This implies that the Moshesh's Ford basalts were emplaced prior to the formation of the lower volcaniclastic breccia, and may have acted as a "cap-rock" over the system, allowing pressure from the vaporised fluids, heated by intruding basalt, to build up. The Moshesh's Ford basalt type was erupted prior to the resultant phreatomagmatic events forming the lower volcaniclastic breccia.

O estudo do fenômeno de expansão em solos argilosos tem-se restringido, na maioria das vezes, a estudos laboratoriais referentes ao comportamento mecânico do solo e as correlações com as propriedades índices e as classificações geotécnicas. Poucos são os estudos na área de mapeamento geotécnico em média e grande escala, existindo um vazio nas metodologias de mapeamento geotécnico no que se refere a esta classe de solos. Durante o desenvolvimento desta pesquisa sobre as características expansivas da Fm. Libertad, Quaternário (Uruguai), foram combinados os produtos obtidos das técnicas de mapeamento com os propriedades identificadas nos ensaios de caracterização e as medidas de expansão. A técnica de avaliação de terreno usando Landforms para separar unidades homogêneas, resultou em um grande auxílio permitindo direcionar os trabalhos e observações de campo e diminuir o numero de amostras a serem coletadas. O ensaio de caracterização da Capacidade de Troca Catiônica (CTC) da fração argila, usando a técnica de Azul de Metileno, mostrou-se coincidente com a identificação de argilo-minerais usando Difração de Raios X (DRX). Esses dados, associados aos valores de Pressão de Expansão e Expansão livre de amostra indeformadas, com umidade natural e secas ao ar, e de amostras compactadas com diferentes massas específicas seca (pd) e umidade constante (w=15%) permitiram identificar unidades com diferentes potenciais de expansão na Fm. Libertad. A combinação desses dados permitiu a produção da Carta de Potencial de Expansão do Solos, numa região de desenvolvimento urbano no Município de Montevidéu, Uruguai. Este documento fornece aos planejadores do uso e ocupação da área o conhecimento dos diferentes graus de restrição que devem ser levados em conta devido à presença de solos potencialmente expansivos. Elaborou-se uma proposta metodológica para a execução de trabalhos de mapeamento geotécnico de solos expansivos. / The swelling phenomenon of the clay soils has been studied mainly in laboratory with the objective of undestand the behavior of the soil and the correlations with the index properties and with the geotechnical classifications. In Engineering Geotechnical Mapping there is a lack of methodology about swell soil mapping in medium or large scale. In this research the swelling characteristics of the Libertad Formation (Uruguay) were studied by combination of the information obtained in the Engineering Geotechnical Mapping (scale 1:10.000) and the soil properties identified in the characterization and swelling tests. The technique of land evaluation using Landforms to separate homogeneous units, it resulted in a great aid allowing to guide the works and field observations and to reduce the number of samples to be collected. The characterization tests of cationic exchange capacity (CEC) of the clay, using the technique of adsorption of methilene blue, it was shown coincident with the identification of clay using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The swelling potentials of the Libertad Formation were determined based in the information of the values of swelling pressure and free swelling from undisturbed samples, both with natural moisture contents and air dried, besides the samples compacted with different apparent specific gravity (pd) and with constant moisture content (w= 15%). This procedure allowed the production of the Swelling Potential Chart of the soil in an suburban area of Montevideo City, Uruguay. This document can supply the information to the management of the area taken in account the different swelling potential of the soils. Finally it is presented a methodology to carry out Engineering Geological Mapping of the swelling soils.

Chapter 1-2:The Cassini RADAR mapper has imaged elevated blocks and mountains on Titan we term ‘ridges’. Two unresolved problems regarding Titan's surface are still debated: what is the origin of its ridges and was there tectonic activity on Titan? To understand the processes that produced the ridges, in this study, (1) we analyze the distribution and orientation of ridges through systematic geomorphologic mapping and (2) we compare the location of the ridges to a new global topographic map to explore the correlation between elevation and ridges and the implications for Titan's surface evolution. Globally, the orientation of ridges is nearly E-W and the ridges are more common near the equator than at the poles, which suggests a tectonic origin for most of the ridges on Titan. In addition, the ridges are found to preferentially lie at higher-than-average elevations near the equator. We conclude the most reasonable formation scenario for Titan's ridges is that contractional tectonism built the ridges and thickened the icy lithosphere, causing regional uplift. The combination of global and regional tectonic events, likely contractional in nature, plus enhanced fluvial erosion and sedimentation near the poles, would have contributed to shaping Titan's tectonic landforms and surface morphology to what we see today. However, contractional structures (i.e. thrusts and folds) require large stresses (8~10 MPa), the sources of which probably do not exist on Titan. Liquid hydrocarbons in Titan's near subsurface must play a role similar to that of water on Earth and lead to fluid overpressures, which enable contractional deformation at smaller stresses (< 1MPa) by significantly reducing the shear strength of materials. We show that crustal conditions with enhanced pore fluid pressures on Titan favor the formation of thrust faults and related folds, in a contractional stress field. The production of folds, as on Earth, is facilitated by the presence of crustal liquids to weaken the crust. These hydrocarbon fluids have played a key role in Titan's tectonic evolutionary history, leaving it the only icy body on which strong evidence for contractional tectonism exists. Chapter 3: Arthur Wichmann's ‘Earthquakes of the Indian Archipelago’ documents several large earthquakes and tsunami throughout the Banda Arc region that can be interpreted as mega-thrust events. However, the source regions of these events are not known. One of the largest and well-documented events in the catalog is the great earthquake and tsunami affecting the Banda islands on 1 August 1629. It caused severe damage from a 15-meter tsunami that arrived at the Banda Islands about a half hour after violent shaking stopped. The earthquake was also recorded 230 km away in Ambon, but no tsunami is mentioned. This event was followed by at least 9 years of uncommonly frequent seismic activity in the region that tapered off with time, which can be interpreted as aftershocks. The combination of these observations indicates that the earthquake was most likely a mega-thrust event. We use an inverse modeling approach to numerically reconstruct the tsunami, which constrains the likely location and magnitude of the 1629 earthquake. Only linear numerical models are applied due to the low-resolution of bathymetry in the Banda Islands and Ambon. Therefore, we apply various wave amplification factors (1.5 to 4) derived from simulations of recent, well-constrained tsunami to bracket the upper and lower limits of earthquake moment magnitudes for the event. The closest major earthquake sources to the Banda Islands are the Tanimbar and Seram Troughs of the Banda subduction/collision zone. Other source regions are too far away for such a short arrival time of the tsunami after shaking. Moment magnitudes predicted by the models in order to produce a 15 m tsunami are Mw of 9.8 to 9.2 on the Tanimbar Trough and Mw 8.8 to 8.2 on the Seram Trough. The arrival times of these waves are 58 minutes for Tanimbar Trough and 30 minutes for Seram Trough. The model also predicts 5 meters run-up for Ambon from a Tanimbar Trough source, which is inconsistent with the historical records. Ambon is mostly shielded from a wave generated by a Seram Trough Source.We conclude that the most likely source of the 1629 mega-thrust earthquake is the Seram Trough. Only one earthquake > Mw 8.0 is recorded instrumentally from the eastern Indonesia region although high rates of strain (50-80 mm/a) are measured across the Seram section of the Banda subduction zone. Enough strain has already accumulated since the last major historical event to produce an earthquake of similar size to the 1629 event. Due to the rapid population growth in coastal areas in this region, it is imperative that the most vulnerable coastal areas prepare accordingly.

This project attempted to combine digital data sets to define and map geologic features in the Sparta and Montpelier quadrangles of Chickasaw and Clay counties in northeastern Mississippi. LANDSAT TM, digital elevation, and soil permeability data was used in conjunction with reference data for the Sparta quadrangle to build a computer model. Variables used in the model were: geology, slope, soil permeability, vegetation indices, the first three bands of a tasseled cap transformation, and drainage frequency. The data used was LANDSAT TM 30 meter imagery, digital elevation models, also at 30 meter resolution, Penn State STASGO soils data, and the existing map of the Sparta quadrangle. The purpose of this project was to use digital data to remotely map geologic features through heavy vegetation using a computer model. While the results of this project were not completely successful, the methods used show some potential for future application.