U.S.-Egypt Cooperative Research: Structural and Tectonic Evolution of El-Fayum Depression, North Western Desert, Egypt Based on Analysis of Landsat TM, SIR-C/X-SAR and SRTM data

描述：该奖项是为了支持密苏里州圣路易斯大学地球科学系的Timothy M.Kusky博士和埃及开罗国家遥感和空间科学管理局(NARSS)地质系的Talaat M.Ramadan博士之间的合作研究。轨道遥感技术已发展到实际应用的高级水平，特别是在光学和雷达图像方面。轨道光学图像可用于绘制岩性细节图以及识别矿藏。成像雷达在绘制构造图和估计地表粗糙度方面很有用，可以用来识别岩性。未来几年计划推出新的轨道传感器，以获得更好的光谱和空间分辨率以及新的数据。此外，航天飞机雷达地形任务的最新数据成功地使用C波段(6厘米波长)雷达对北纬60‘到S 60’之间的地球表面进行了成像和绘制。这些数据将在描述活跃的构造和地貌特征以及监测地质灾害和环境变化方面独一无二地强大。在这项研究中，我们建议将一些利用卫星图像的方法与新的、可能更强大的遥感技术和更高分辨率的主动传感器SAR图像联系起来，以圈定构造，以了解地震活跃的El-Fayum凹陷内的构造演化和灾害。制作的地图将使人们能够研究正在考虑进行开发项目的地区，以及探索西部沙漠尚未勘探的地区。在东北非洲、阿拉伯、马达加斯加、中国等干旱地区的地质研究和利用轨道遥感数据解决干旱地区地质问题方面具有丰富的经验。库斯基博士和拉马丹博士参加了1998年2月22日至28日在开罗举行的美国-埃及沙漠研究优先事项研讨会，此后他们共同发表了几篇关于利用遥感技术进行地质应用的论文，并完成了对El-Fayum地区的侦察遥感研究。范围和广泛影响：来自美国和埃及的资深科学家将与埃及初级科学家以及美国和埃及学生合作，将现有的遥感和野外技术与开发新技术相结合，以整合不同类型的数据，进行地质和灾害评估。过去，这个团队已经开发出用于矿产资源和地下水勘探的新的卫星图像分析技术，现在他们将把重点放在地质灾害评估、土地利用、开发和构造演化上。了解这一发展中地区的地质灾害将对当地人民有很大帮助，开发灾害监测和地质研究的新技术将对社会有更广泛的用途。该项目涉及美国和埃及的大学、政府组织和从资深教师到本科生实验室助理的科学家。该项目得到了美国-埃及联合基金计划的支持，该计划为两国的科学家和工程师提供资助，以开展这些合作活动。

0422611KuskyDescription: This award is to support cooperative research between Dr. Timothy M. Kusky, Department of Earth Sciences, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, Missouri and Dr. Talaat M. Ramadan, Department of Geology, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo, Egypt. Orbital remote sensing technology has progressed to advanced levels of practical application, particularly with respect to optical and radar imagery. Orbital optical imagery can be utilized to map lithological details as well as for identifying mineral deposits. Imaging radar is useful in mapping structures as well as estimating surface roughness, which can be used to identify lithology. New orbital sensors are planned for the next few years to obtain better spectral and spatial resolution and new data. In addition, recent data from the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) has successfully imaged and mapped the topography of the Earth's surface between 60'N and 60'S using C-band (6 cm wavelength) radar. These data will be uniquely powerful for characterizing active tectonic and geomorphological features, and for monitoring geological hazards and environmental changes. In this study we propose to link some methods of utilizing satellite imagery with new, potentially more powerful remote sensing techniques and higher resolution active sensor SAR images to delineate structures in order to understand the tectonic evolution and hazards within the seismically active El-Fayum Depression. The produced maps will allow study of areas being considered for development projects and exploration of the yet unexplored tracts of the Western Desert. The PI has experience in geologic studies on NE Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, China, and other arid regions, and in using orbital remote sensing data to solve geologic problems in arid regions. Dr. Kusky and Dr. Ramadan attended a US-Egypt Workshop on Priorities of Desert Studies, held in Cairo from Feb. 22-28, 1998, and have since published several papers together on utilizing remote sensing techniques for geological applications, and have completed a reconnaissance remote sensing study of El-Fayum area. Scope and broad impact: Senior scientists from the US and Egypt will be working with Junior Egyptian scientists and with US and Egyptian students, integrating existing remote sensing and field techniques with the development of new techniques for integrating different data types for geological and hazards assessments. In the past, this team has derived new satellite image analysis techniques for mineral resource and ground water exploration, and now they will focus their efforts on geologic hazards assessment, land use, development, and tectonic evolution. Understanding the geological hazards in this developing area will be of great use to the local population, and the development of new techniques for hazards monitoring and geologic studies will be of broader use to society. The project involves US and Egyptian Universities, governments' organizations, and scientists ranging from senior faculty to undergraduate lab assistants. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.