A Remote-sensing Investigation of Four Mojave Playas

Download or read book A Remote-sensing Investigation of Four Mojave Playas written by C. E. Molineux and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dry lakebeds (playas) in the Mojave Desert are often hard and flat enough to serve as natural landing areas for aircraft. However, the surface physical properties of moisture, strength, and microrelief can vary with seasonal or local conditions. It is desirable to develop methods for deterining and monitoring these properties and their variations. Airborne remote sensing enables collection of data on the reflectance, temperature, and emissivity of these surfaces that can be correlated with soil parameters. Four playas in the Mojave Desert that have a variety of surface properties were investigated. Airborne spectrophotography and thermal infrared imagery were obtained by overflights. Ground photometry and measurements of surface properties were obtained. Moisture-sensitive dyes were applied to one lakebed surface to evaluate the feasibility of monitoring its dryness through color changes apparent on the aerial photography. The report describes the results of the remote-sensing investigations and the correlation of photographic and imagery interpretation with actual surface conditions.