The use of Landsat Thematic Mapper data for mapping and correlation of Quaternary geomorphic surfaces in the southern Whipple Mountains, California

Alluvial geomorphic surfaces in the southern Whipple Mountains (south-eastern California) were mapped using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data. Surfaces can readily be classified as young, intermediate or old in terms of stages of development. Spectral and textural information contained in these data are interpretable in terms of source rock composition, degree of desert pavement formation and drainage patterns, which are among the most important criteria used in field-based classification. Thus, classification and mapping of geomorphic surfaces based on image analysis is directly comparable to maps produced from field-based observations, potentially providing information about climate and neotectonics.