Linking Samples to Orbital Imagery: Cataloging the Spectral Signatures of the Transantarctic Mountains for Future Compositional Studies and Remote Ground Truthing

Abstract:

Over the past five years, remote spectral investigations of ice-free Antarctic geology have become possible through improvements to atmospheric correction techniques and detailed laboratory- and field-based spectral validation. These investigations have provided new insight into the primary (inherent lithologic variability) and secondary (chemical weathering and surface alteration processes) geologic processes that have occurred across the Antarctic continent. While largely limited to familiar areas that have been thoroughly investigated in the field, such ground validation is possible through analyzing well-documented samples returned by previous investigators. This work also provides the first critical steps towards examining the nature of atmospheric contributions to orbital data across the Antarctic continent and developing a means of effectively removing their contributions.

In close collaboration with the Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) and the Polar Rock Repository (PRR), we have begun collecting and archiving visible and near-infrared (0.35 – 2.50 microns) hyperspectral data of samples currently archived at the PRR. These samples include a range of clasts and sediments that span the full diversity of Antarctic geology. As they are collected, these data are shared and archived at both the PGC and PRR, and will soon be incorporated into the PRR digital data archive that accompanies all lithologic samples.

We will report on the progress of this investigation, including preliminary associations between the laboratory-derived spectra and high-resolution (meter-scale) orbital data from the PGC. These investigations suggest that first-order atmospheric removal and compositional investigations can be performed remotely for areas where samples have been collected and analyzed. Future work will continue to expand the geographic range of analyzed samples, particularly along the Antarctic coast.