Evaluation of Shuttle imaging radar data for delineating and characterizing hidden landscapes in Saudi Arabia

摘要

L-band radar images from the two NASA Shuttle Imaging Radar missions in 1981 and 1984 delineate and characterize a number of different geologic terrains in Saudi Arabia that are completely or partially buried beneath relatively thin deposits of eolian sand. The sand mantle was essentially made transparent because the propagated radar beams were able to penetrate through the fine-grained, loose, and very dry sand deposits and be diffusely reflected from various radar-rough substrates. These buried geologic terrains and landscapes were not amenable to detection by visible and infrared wavelength sensors because they recorded reflected and emitted energies coming totally or primarily from the overburden. Our findings indicate that these unique radar views can provide valuable information for geologic, hydrologic, and archaeologic studies.