1. technology and computing
2. software

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ITR/IM+AP(GEO)Collaborative Research:Creation of a Geospatial Data
System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and
Range Provinces (Geoinformatics in Action)
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Page 1 of 2
C. Project description
Introduction
As part of the Geoinformatics initiative (www.geoinformaticsnetwork.org), we propose to construct
a data system for the Southwestern U. S., a region of great current interest to the Earth Science
community and a number of state and federal agencies. The system consists of a data repository and
specific software tools to exploit and model the contained data. Significantly, the data repository includes
a conceptual model for the information contained, the data itself, and metadata that describes the
contained data. Our team represents a variety of research centers at Arizona State University (ASU) and
the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) that can leverage other resources to undertake this ambitious
project. In order to provide NSF staff and reviewers color copies of the figures presented herein and
additional information we have prepared a website for this proposal (http://paces.geo.utep.edu/ITR.shtml).
The earth science community-based Geoinformatics initiative is motivated by the recognition that
the Earth functions as a collection of complex, interacting systems and that the information and tools
being used to study this collection of systems are inadequate. Currently, the chaotic distribution of
available data sets, lack of documentation about them, lack of easy-to-use tools to access them, and lack
of access to computer codes for modeling Earth structure and processes are major obstacles for all users
of Earth Science data scientists, educators, engineers, planners, and regulators. These obstacles have
hindered scientists and educators in the access and full use of available data and information, and hence
have limited scientific productivity and the quality of education. Advances in computer design, software,
disk storage systems as well as the growth of the World Wide Web (WWW) now permit the management
of gigabytes to terabytes of data and the on-demand distribution of information to scientists, educators,
students, and the general public. These technological advances provide the means to overcome
inadequacies in the tools available for data archiving, distribution, and analysis.
The complexity of the scientific questions being addressed by the Earth Science community
requires integrative and innovative approaches employing very large data sets. However, our community
knows all too well the difference between a large data set and a useable database. Existing databases
commonly do not include all available measurement results, may be difficult to access, and may not be as
error free as is practical. The ultimate goal of the Earth Science community is a fully integrated data
system populated with high quality, freely available data that provide a detailed 4-dimensional model of
the Earth. Such a model would include:
• quantitative descriptions of the chemical composition of all materials
• quantitative descriptions of the physical characteristics (density, magnetization, conductivity, etc.)
of materials at many scales
• a classification of the materials into litho-, bio-, and chronostratigraphic rock units (or bodies).
• P-T-t (Pressure, Temperature, and time) paths for points throughout the model
• descriptions of the static geometry and kinematic history of structures
• dynamic descriptions of active tectonic processes
• the geologic history of all rock bodies
The system will also include robust software to model, visualize, and analyze data. The interface
will allow natural language queries couched in technical or non-technical terms, and respond by providing
appropriate natural language answers, data tables, standard format output files, or visualizations (maps,
cross sections, 3-D views, etc.). This system would feature rich and deep databases and convenient
access. Knowledge of the physical location and structure of the stored data would be unnecessary for
the user. Multiple working hypotheses would be stored for regions in which knowledge is incomplete or
inconsistent. The origin of any particular fact or interpretation could be traced to its source. However,
some important Earth Science problems to be addressed using this data system and software are
probably not yet known because the creative energies of people getting together to explore relationships
among the data and test ideas will lead to unanticipated insights. The object of this proposal is to use a
relatively large and significant region as a target for the construction of a prototype data system.
Data System Design and Construction
Although it has not yet been accomplished in the Earth Sciences, the power of having all
available data integrated with access, modeling, and visualization tools under the finger tips of a user has
a great potential in advancing science, accelerating the discovery process, and easing the difficulties in
education. In order to take a first step in the process of establishing such a data system for the US and
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 1
ultimately the world, we propose to design and develop a comprehensive Earth information system for
research and education focusing on the southern Colorado Plateau and adjacent portions of the Basin
and Range province (Figure 1).
This system will contain not only multidisciplinary data sets, but also data manipulation, analysis,
visualization, plotting tools and modeling codes to exploit the data, all easily accessible via the World
Wide Web. This system will provide universal access to all parties interested in Earth Science whether
they are scientists, educators, students, industry, or the general public. Our goal is to empower all
scientists and interested parties by constructing a data system (see Figure 2) consisting of a number of
nodes that develop and maintain elements of the data system together with links to specific research
groups with which we have established strong ties (Arizona Geological Survey-AGS, U. S. Geological
Survey-USGS, and Jet Propulsion Lab—JPL). The central node is a website providing a seamless entry
point to the nodes. Broad participation from the Earth Science community will be sought to provide data,
input on issues such as data standards, and establish additional nodes for the system, but construction
and maintenance of this system will be the joint responsibility of the research teams at ASU and the
UTEP. Our intent is for the system to be a significant initial step toward the ultimate system envisioned by
the Geoinformatics initiative to provide broad access of all available data along with access, modeling,
and visualization tools. We would exercise particular care to make the data system accessible and the
software available to the scientific and educational communities and, even more critical, to create a data
system that is maintainable by applying sound software engineering methodologies.
Figure 1. Color shaded relief map of the study area (Arizona and New Mexico with portions of California, Nevada,
Utah, Colorado, Texas and northern Mexico). The Colorado Plateau is the broad higher elevation region of the Four
Corners area that is separated from the relatively lower elevation Basin and Range by the Arizona Transition Zone.
In New Mexico and Colorado, the Basin and Range is manifest as the narrow Rio Grande Rift, whereas it is broader
and variably active in Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Texas and Mexico. The westernmost portion of the study area touches
the southern San Andreas Fault System in California and the Gulf of California. The numbers and arrows point in the
view directions for figure 3 (Right and Left). TUC-PHX-FLG denotes the Tucson-Phoenix-Flagstaff ultra data rich
area.
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 2
UTEP
PACES
(NASA)
ASU-Geological
Remote Sensing
Lab (NASA)
UTEP
Geological
&
Computer
Sciences
ASU
Geological
&
Computer
Sciences
Central
Node
USGS
AGS
External
Users
JPL
Figure 2. Proposed structure of data system. Central node is common access point to data system.
Data System Structure
The criteria for the data system design is as follows:
1. Create an open and flexible data system populated and maintained by user-members of the
Earth Science community. This is central to the vitality and longevity of the data system. Simplicity
and flexibility are crucial in developing a system that can respond to changing technologies and user
needs. Initially, our regional data system nodes will play the lead role in preparing and maintaining
contributions and serving as an interface with the user community. Both UTEP and ASU are
connected to Internet2, providing high- performance networking capabilities that are needed for
remote visualization, imaging, storage, and transmission of massive data sets. The data system must
be flexible and have minimal infrastructure requirements (i.e., minimization of OS dependencies,
various data management protocols; peripheral hardware requirements) and a minimum of mandated
data format requirements. For a national data system to be successful, there must be an incentive for
users to contribute. We will explore mechanisms for publication of data sets (with and without
interpretation) by interfacing with emerging digital publication systems, and it is conceivable that the
data system initiative may be able to enlist different professional societies to support electronic
publication of data sets and interpretations.
2. Develop a toolbox for all levels of user/contributors. The development of a toolbox is a vital task.
The software element of the system requires development and maintenance of a well designed frontend for a variety of programs needed to extract, interface, and model data available from the data
system. In addition, software tools that support the construction, verification, and maintenance of the
databases that will store existing data sets (Tables 1 and 2) are an absolute necessity. In an
environment characterized by access to rapidly evolving data sets developed to address specific
problems (curiosity-driven research), modification, addition of information, and reorientation of the
data to address a new motive for data set development will require a collection of software
applications. Although developing an exhaustive set of software is not feasible, we have identified
essential tools that must be created or modified and a significant number of programs from our own
software libraries and from public domain sources that can be extended and incorporated into our
system.
Broad classes of tools:
1. Input, storage, and extraction applications: software to facilitate entry of existing and new data/metadata
into database, put data into the appropriate virtual bin, extract data on a geographic, temporal, and
band/layer basis.
2. Geographic applications: software to georeference/georectify data and recast into standard data formats
where applicable.
3. Processing applications: software to perform data manipulation specific to each data type.
4. Facilitation applications /links: under-the-dash software necessary to link up the other software, interface
with commercial packages, and exchange data through web-based GUI.
5. Creation of web-based user interface: multi-level access (scientist, educator, decision-maker, student)
with appropriate "how to" and "why to" regarding the data (above and beyond the metadata).
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 3
Table 1. Databases to be entered into the data system
X
Y
Z
Z
T
(lat)
(lon)
(elevation)
(depth)
(time)
Gravity
Density
X
X
X
inferred
Aeromagnetic
Magnetic susceptibility
X
X
X
inferred
Electromagnetic
Electrical conductivity
X
X
X
inferred
Seismic Reflection
Arrival times
X
X
X
inferred
Seismic Refraction
Arrival times
X
X
X
inferred
Broadband Seismic Data
Several*
X
X
X
inferred
Seismicity
Earthquake location
X
X
X
X
Heat Flow
Thermal conductivity
X
X
X
Drill Hole Data
Depth & Lithology
X
X
X
X
Geologic Maps
Unit distribution
X
X
X
Faults (mapping & imaging)
Geometry
X
X
X
inferred
Geochemistry & Petrology
Composition
X
X
inferred
Geochronology
Age
X
X
X
Crustal Stress & Strain
Velocity & Stress
X
X
X
X
Digital Elevation Model
Elevation
X
X
X
Remote Sensing (SAR)
Reflectivity images
X
X
X
Remote Sensing (multispectral)
Reflectivity images
X
X
X
* These diverse data include receiver functions, shear wave splitting, seismic velocity tomography, and others.
Property
Table 2. Summary of software to be integrated into the data system
Software Development and Implementation
Gravity
Aeromagnetic
Electromagnetic
Seismic Reflection
Seismic Refraction
Broadband Seismic Data
Seismicity
Heat Flow
Drill Hole Data
Geologic Maps
Faults (mapping & imaging)
Geochemistry & Petrology
Geochronology
Crustal Stress & Strain
Digital Elevation Model
Remote Sensing (SAR)
Remote Sensing
(multispectral)
Minor development required. Modeling, digital filtering, and analysis software developed
by both our team and the USGS will be integrated into the system.
Minor development required. Modeling, digital filtering, and analysis software developed
by both our team and the USGS will be integrated into the system.
Moderate development required. Modeling and analysis of these data are very complex;
only simple modeling software may be practically integrated into the system.
Extensive development required. We have begun constructing a GUI for a public domain
software package (SEISMIC UNIX) developed by the Colorado School of Mines. This
development will be a major contribution and effort.
Minor development required. Modeling, digital filtering, and display software developed by
our team, international collaborators, and the USGS will be integrated.
Moderate development required. We will develop a simple GUI for public domain analysis
and mapping software (GMT) as needed.
Minor development required. Extensive public domain software exists and will be
integrated.
Minor development required. Beyond data tabulation, software is not a major issue.
Minor development required. Beyond data tabulation, software is not a major issue.
Moderate development required. The de facto standard is ArcView/ArcInfo; it is not
possible to avoid dependence on commercial software in this case. However, scripting for
data entry, map manipulation, and useful query will be prepared.
Minor development required. We will extract these data from existing digital files and
integrate them into the system.
Minor development required. Beyond data tabulation, software is not a major issue.
Minor development required. Beyond data tabulation, software is not a major issue.
Moderate development required. We will develop a simple GUI for public domain analysis
and mapping software (GMT) as needed.
Moderate development required. Existing image processing and cartography software
handle these data well, but scripts to perform common analyses will be written.
Moderate development required. See below.
Moderate development required. We will integrate a capable public domain software
package (MultiSpec) developed by Purdue University into our system.
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 4
Specific Data Base and Software Development Efforts
This project is intended to be far more than a database compilation project; the database efforts
will be ambitious, but limited to the data sets given in Table 1 which we have already identified and
confirmed their availability and tractability. Software development and integration into the data system is
also a significant challenge (Table 2). In order to be as comprehensive as possible, we will rely not only
on the considerable libraries of software developed by our respective research groups but will also rely
heavily on public domain software from a wide variety of sources. Integration of this software into the
system will not be trivial because of issues such as making the software transportable across several
computer platforms. Details of specific efforts for each database are described below.
Gravity Measurements
Measurements of the Earth’s gravity field are an example of what can be accomplished in a
specific region with some collaboration and a relatively modest effort. The study of the Earth’s gravity
field has many applications including determining the detailed shape of the Earth (geodesy), predicting
the orbits of satellites and the trajectories of missiles, determining the Earth’s mass and moment of
inertia, and conducting geophysical mapping and interpretation of features in the Earth’s lithosphere. In
studies of the upper crust, gravity data can help address a broad range of basic geologic questions,
delineate geologic features related to natural hazards (faults, volcanoes, landslides), and aid in the
search for natural resources (water, oil, gas, minerals, geothermal energy). Such studies provide
elegantly straightforward demonstrations of the applicability of classical physics and digital processing to
the solution of a variety of geological problems.
All existing data sets need editing of spurious and duplicative data points, and the calculation of
terrain corrections for data from high relief areas are badly needed. In addition, an international network
of base stations for gravity surveys exists and must be used if workers are to add data that can be
merged into the existing data bases. However, it is hard to imagine how a newcomer to the field would
be able to access information about the stations in this network, since its existence is not discussed in
text books or on existing web sites. There are little metadata available about the existing data sets, and
there are countless examples of misuse of these data by workers unaware of important details.
Workers in the field are, however, well networked and have a history of open cooperation. Thus,
it would be relatively easy to access all public domain information and establish one consistent database
for our area of interest. For example, we already know that there are about a million publicly available
gravity readings in the U S. With a modest effort to edit these data and a less modest effort to
consistently terrain correct them, a database accessible by a website would be established along with a
system for capturing corrections and additions. We already have UTEP Computer Science students
working on developing a web-based tool that will permit access of gravity data and manipulation of the
data using tools that support, for example, modeling, mapping, filtering, and construction of profiles. We
have also worked with the USGS and NIMA to insure that the reduction equations used are standardized.
Integration into the data system will require extending the tool to provide guidance to students and
instructors from colleges in remote areas who wish to collect data from regions currently not represented
in the database. An issue in development of such a database is ensuring the integrity of the data. The
following will be enforced for all datasets included in the system: completeness (all data meets a known
standard), validity (attributes are within a defined domain and range), logical consistency (the value of an
attribute is consistent with the value or values of functionally-related attributes), physical consistency (the
geographic extent of the database is topologically correct), referential integrity (related tables match in
content), and positional accuracy (each spatial object s position in the database matches reality). An ongoing UTEP effort is focused on identifying and eliminating erroneous data points from the existing gravity
database. We believe that this effort is important because the same problems will emerge in other
databases that we plan to develop in which measurement results made by different groups are combined.
Because the quality of the equipment used for measurements varies, results are of drastically different
accuracy. It is desirable to estimate the accuracy of measurements done by different groups, and to use
these estimates to improve the accuracy and reliability of the stored data. It is also desirable to filter out
erroneous data points, because their inclusion can degrade the quality of the resulting data processing.
We have developed, for gravity databases, two methods - statistical and interval - for "cleaning" the
gravity database. The UTEP Computer Science group has considerable experience in interval
computations (and in robust statistics in general), and experience both in theoretical analysis and in
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 5
application (including applications to data processing in geoscience) (Kearfott and Kreinovich, 1996;
Kreinovich et al., 1997; Gates et al., 1998; Starks and Kreinovich, 2000). UTEP is a location of the
international website on interval computations http://www.cs.utep.edu/interval-comp. Our preliminary
results show that these methods can automatically eliminate a large number of erroneous data points,
thus drastically reducing the need to use valuable time of geophysicist experts. This preliminary success
opens the way for using similar techniques for filtering future databases as well. For that, we plan to adapt
state-of-the-art methods and techniques (statistical, fuzzy, interval, etc.) for describing and handling data
uncertainty (measurement errors, expert uncertainty) to improve the accuracy and reliability of
geophysical remote sensing data from satellite, gravity, magnetic, and other measurements. Errors in
massive digital elevation models are of particular interest.
Aeromagnetic
Aeromagnetic data share many properties with gravity data in terms the physical principles
involved, the software used in modeling and analysis, and applications. The USGS is currently compiling
aeromagnetic data for the study area. Thus, we can take advantage of this intricate and time-consuming
effort and simply extract our area from their database. Otherwise, most of the software needed for gravity
data will work equally well for aeromagnetic data.
Electromagnetic
In many cases, modeling and analysis of these data is complex. This is particularly true of
magnetotelluric data. Thus, only simple resistivity sounding and profiling modeling software will be
practical for integration into the system. Dr. Kevin Mickus of Southwest Missouri State University has
worked on electromagnetic data in the study area for many years. He has been added to our research
team in order to insure that all existing data have been compiled and organized for easy access. In
addition, Professor James Tyburczy at Arizona State University is an expert in electrical properties of
materials and will be involved as well.
Seismic Reflection
Thanks to the efforts of the Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP-Cornell
University), the CalCrust program, and joint effort by the University of Arizona and Arizona State
University to acquire data donations from industry, there is a considerable amount of seismic reflection
data available for the region of interest. The COCORP data are already accessible via an excellent
website (www.geo.cornell.edu/geology/cocorp/CORCORP.html ). Some of the remainder of these data is
available from the Data Management Center of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
(www.IRIS.edu ). These data sets are massive, and we will work with the IRIS/DMC to provide access to
and archival of them there. We will continue a major effort in software development to provide the
community access to a user-friendly public domain seismic data processing capability by developing a
graphical user interface (GUI) for the Seismic Unix (SU) package developed by the Colorado school of
Mines. Currently, all user interaction with SU is currently handled through a command-line interface
requiring the user to either issue commands one at a time, or to create Unix shell scripts to issue a
sequence of commands. The goal is to develop a GUI that simplifies the use of SU by isolating the user
from the command-line interface that requires an expert user to be productive. The tool will facilitate
selection and setting of parameters in SU commands, monitor correct setting of parameters through an
expert knowledge base, simplify the creation and use of reusable sequences of SU commands, and
provide an interface to system documentation. The GUI provides guidance to the infrequent user of SU.
Seismic Refraction
A number of seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection surveys have been undertaken in the region
of interest and the PI s of this project have been involved in almost all of them. Thus, the data from these
studies are readily available but complex in nature. Setting up a data structure for this resource (and the
seismic reflection data discussed above) will however require some effort. As in the case of the reflection
data, we will work with the IRIS/DMC to provide access and archival. We have considerable software in
place for the modeling, digital filtering and analysis of these data. We would supplement these resources
with public domain software from the USGS, and our international collaborators.
Broadband Seismic Data
The volume of seismic data from temporary broadband deployments has increased exponentially
in the past 10 years. Results of these studies have yielded important new information regarding the
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
page 6
structure of the crust and upper mantle; for instance, crust and mantle seismic velocities, crustal
thickness, depth of upper mantle discontinuities, and mantle strain constraints have all be collected using
these data. The problem remains, however, of having a single repository for site-specific results of these
studies, particularly in tectonically active regions. For instance, receiver functions, shear wave splitting,
and seismic velocity tomography are typical studies that are discretized to specific points. These types of
data could easily be incorporated into the database. The amount of broadband seismic data collected in
the proposed study region is currently limited; however, several new experiments are either currently
underway or have been proposed. We will incorporate the results of these studies as they progress.
Seismicity
While earthquake activity in the study area is lower than for active regions such as southern
California, the southern Colorado Plateau/Basin and Range/Rio Grande Rift region still produces a
moderate amount of seismicity. Several groups (USGS, Southern California Earthquake Center, Arizona
Earthquake Information Center) already monitor this activity and produce real-time earthquake locations
and corresponding waveform data. While it is not feasible for us to maintain a real-time database of
earthquake activity for the study area, we will direct users to the USGS, SCEC, and AEIC websites and
will annually update our seismicity catalog to include regional earthquakes significant to our study area. In
addition, Arizona State University is in the early stages of development of a semipermanent broadband
seismic array that will be located within the Phoenix metropolitan area (ASUarray). Data from ASUarray
also will be integrated into the database.
Heat Flow
Beyond data tabulation, software is not a major issue for heat flow data The Global Heat Flow
Data Set compiled by Pollack et al. (1993), provides an important contribution to the proposed database.
This data set is available via FTP and can easily be parsed into the necessary format. In addition, more
recent data from regional studies (i.e., Sass et al., 1994) will be added to the database as necessary.
Drill Hole Data
Data from wells drilled for water, minerals, oil and gas, and geothermal energy provide the only
direct sampling of subsurface rocks and properties. Such information provides the means to verify and
calibrate the interpretation of remotely sensed geophysical data, and the construction of sub-surface
cross sections based on geologic mapping. Records from drilling take the form of solid core, rock chips
(cuttings), text descriptions (drilling, mud) logs, and various sorts of geophysical logs. Currently, the AGS
maintains repositories for core and cuttings, and has a library of available logs for all wells that have been
issued oil and gas drilling permits. Databases at the AGS describe well locations in the Township and
Range system, along with total depth, date of drilling, and in some cases include comments about the
rock encountered in the well. In order to make the well locations accessible in a computerized geographic
information system, the wells must be located in a true coordinate system relative to the earth (e.g., UTM,
decimal degrees). To make the geologic information from these wells available in computer database,
lithologic information must be organized into a standard data structure. The Petrotechnical Open Software
Consortium (POSC), and Public Petroleum Data Model are data models developed by the petroleum
industry to describe subsurface data. The Australian Mineral Industries Research Association (AMIRA)
(http://www.amira.com.au/) has published a geoscience data model for exchange of data in the mineral
exploration industry that includes data structures for describing drill hole data. These models will be
reviewed and adapted to develop an appropriate data model.
Geologic Maps
Digital geologic maps are a cornerstone of next generation geologic information systems that will
archive, query, retrieve, and display geologic information tailored to specific requirements. Geologic data
are used for land-management decision-making, engineering design, in the search for mineral resources,
and for scientific research. Traditionally, geologic information has been stored and disseminated using
geologic maps and written reports [Bernknopf et al., 1993). The geologic map images we are used to
dealing with are only one possible visualization of the geologic data set developed by the geologist in the
field. Because of the complexity of the earth, much of the information included in a geologic map is buried
in several layers of abstraction. Production of derivative maps designed for a specific purpose thus
requires a geologically sophisticated analysis of the original map and the drafting of a new map designed
to depict a different aspect of the geology. Such maps might be designed to show rocks of a particular
age, show the lithology of the rocks without respect to age, show the orientation of bedding or foliation in
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layered rocks, or to show the acid buffering capacity of the rocks, etc. Modern data storage and
communication technology provides an environment that allows the display of geologic map data from a
computer database to be customized for the purposes of each user.
The underlying geologic map data model must be flexible enough to encompass a wide range of
earth science information, storing it in such a fashion that it does not become obsolete with advances in
geologic science. AGS has been developing a system for delivery of geologic data as a computer
database for several years. This effort is part of a larger effort by the USGS develop a National Geologic
Map Database. Digital geologic maps have been compiled at a scale of 1:100,000 for seven 30 by 60
minute quadrangles across the central part of the state. The USGS has completed 1:100,000-scale digital
geologic maps for the western Grand Canyon area, and is in the process of digitizing geologic maps that
cover the Prescott National Forest and San Carlos Indian Reservation. The State of New Mexico has
recently completed compilation of a 1:500,000-scale digital geologic map. All of these geologic databases
use different data structures, and are not interoperable. We propose to integrate the available databases
into a consistent data structure compatible with the evolving NADM (and thus eradicate digital state line
boundary faults ). The key to making these geologic data useful is the development of software tools that
allow efficient and accurate data entry and updating, and rapid customization of geologic map
compositions based on data from separate sources. The software tools will be easy to use, and operate
in a variety of software-hardware environments. A clearly defined interface must connect the user tools
with the underlying data, so that both parts of the system can evolve independently as new hardware and
operating systems are introduced.
Faults (mapping and imaging)
We will extract faults from existing digital files and add them from our image analysis for easy
access and use. The AGS recently published a map of earthquake hazards in Arizona (Pearthree and
Bausch, 1999). That map includes information about the active faults of the state and AGS has offered to
share the appropriate Arc-Info databases. The fault data include estimates of slip rates, timing of last
rupture and other parameters where available. Arrowsmith, Reynolds, and Pearthree have sustained
collaborations of research along faults of the Transition zone such and Toroweap system (Figure 3). We
will extend this database and compile additional data as necessary to build a regional active fault
database that will be of great use to both seismic hazard estimation and to geodynamic studies of
deformation of the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range Transition zone.
Geochemistry/Petrology
The Southwest is one of the most geochemically studied regions on Earth. There are many
thousands of geochemical analyses, ranging from nearly complete chemical characterization of Tertiary
basalts (major, minor, and trace-element analyses, combined with Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopes) to exploration
samples for copper, gold, and silver. We have already completed a compilation of nearly all geochemical
data for Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks in the Southern Plateau, Transition Zone, and Basin and
Range provinces (Leighty, 1997). Compilations of geochemical data for older rocks also exist (S. B. Keith
and Ed DeWitt, unpublished compilations), and we will contact these other workers to include their data in
our compilation, as well as compile the remaining geochemical data. Geochemical data, like age
determinations, are point data and will not need any exotic software written for query and display.
Geochronology
An accurate knowledge of the ages of rocks is critical in deciphering the geologic history and its
implications for society. Ages of basalt flows, for example, are one of the main ways to date the
earthquake activity along Quaternary faults, and the age of a granite is one of the most important factors
in assessing a granite s mineral-resource potential. Compilation and display of single geochronologic data
points are quite straight forward, in that an age is generally determined from a single sample at a single
location. We would, however, link the geochronologic data with the digital geologic map database, so that
each age determination is linked with the geographic extent of the associated rock unit. Also, as we have
done in past geochronologic compilations, the geologic context and interpretational caveats (such as
excess Argon) will be included for each age determination. Co-PI Reynolds published a compilation of all
geochronologic data for Arizona (Reynolds et al., 1986), personally reviewing and interpreting every age
determination. The AGS has continued this project, updating the database as new age determinations
become available. A similar compilation has been completed for New Mexico by the New Mexico Bureau
of Mines and Mineral Resources. The multimedia geologic map of the Springerville Volcanic Field,
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authored by Chris Condit, provides a clear vision of the way that geochronologic data can be linked with
other data sources, such as geologic maps and geochemistry.
Crustal Strain and Stress
Because of the extensive GPS activity in western North America (especially southern California,
the Pacific Northwest, and the northern Basin and Range), efforts to synthesize data from various studies
in this area are relatively more advanced than other regions. A University Navstar Consortium (UNAVCO)
working group has been formed (Western North America Project) to combine GPS data from various
networks to derive a detailed velocity field for the broader Pacific-North America boundary zone
(http://www.unavco.ucar.edu/science_tech/westus/westus.html). As versions of this velocity field are
developed, we will incorporate them into our regional data system. We will also incorporate data from the
World Stress Map project (http://www-wsm.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/pub2000/).
Digital Elevation Model
Digital elevation data (DEM) at a variety of scales have been generated by the USGS and are
readily available for downloading via their websites. However, many investigators overlook the fact that
this massive data set is stored on a map by map basis and that there are many data problems particularly
at map boundaries. Thus, an unglamorous but important task will be to create a cleaned and merged data
set. Our area of interest will be among the first areas for which DEM data from the Shuttle Radar
Topography Mission will be released by NASA/JPL and NIMA. These data will provide an ideal regional
data set for our region. We will include tools and scripts for the analysis of topography on DEMS such as
hypsometry, relief, drainage density and more geomorphically significant parameters such as stream
power and contributing area and local slope (e.g., Dietrich et al., 1992; Hilley and Arrowsmith, 2000). In
addition, Reynolds has developed an extensive set of visualizations that aid in student learning of
topographic maps and the relationships between geology, remote sensing data, and topography (Figure
3).
Remote Sensing (SAR)
Incorporation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data into the geologic database will allow for
regional-scale investigations of tectonic features (faults and jointing patterns) as well as providing surficial
material information (grain size) useful for assessment of hillslope transport processes and vegetation
dynamics. Radar data can also be used for assessment of shallow subsurface structures and moisture
contents (Schaber et al., 1997; Dobson and Ulaby, 1998) that may be of importance for studies of
subsidence and cliff retreat. The majority of available data was collected by the Shuttle Imaging Radar
missions (SIR-C/X-SAR) and AIRSAR flights. Data coverage for the study region is not complete for
either dataset. In addition, the SIR-C/X-SAR data archive is now administered by the Eros Data Center
(EDC), which charges $68.00 per scene for precision (full resolution) data products. Survey (low
resolution) data are available for download from the EDC. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) currently
administers the AIRSAR database and precision data products are available for download. We will initially
populate the database using survey-level SIR-C/X-SAR data and precision-level AIRSAR data for
available sites within the study region. Public domain software for viewing and processing radar data is
available from JPL and will be integrated into our web-based processing tools. Commercial software may
also be used for more complicated processing tasks.
Remote Sensing (multispectral)
The usefulness of multispectral (several bands) and hyperspectral (tens to hundreds of bands)
remotely sensed data for geologic investigations is well documented in the literature (Sultan et al., 1987;
Mustard, 1993; Hook et al., 1994 for example). There has been a recent upsurge in the amount of
commercially available high-resolution (10 m/pixel or less) satellite imagery from such providers as SPOT
and ICONOS. These data are typically expensive with limited geographic coverage and poor spectral
resolution that primarily covers the visible and near-infrared wavelengths. While this wavelength region is
useful for discrimination of surficial bedrock and soil units on the basis of color variation and reflectance
alone (Mattikalli, 1997), longer wavelengths such as the short-wave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared
(TIR) allow for mineralogical identification and geochemical characterization of surficial units (Salisbury,
1993; Kahle et al., 1993). This information is of great importance to geologic investigations as it provides
a context for site-specific research, and in some cases allows the collection of physicochemical
information difficult to collect on the ground.
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Figure 3. Portion of the new Geologic Map of Arizona (Richard and others, 2000) draped on digital topography for
the Catalina Mountains area just east of Tucson, Arizona (Left). Note the cross-cutting relationship between the low
angle detachment dipping to the west (the lower plate of which makes up the pink basement rocks of the Catalina
Mountains) and the high angle east dipping normal fault of the later Basin and Range deformation that still leaves a
strong mark on the topography and offsets later Tertiary rocks. The right image is of a more detailed 1:24,000
geologic map in the area near Jerome Cottonwood Arizona. It illustrates both the interesting bedrock relations, as
well as the young rocks cut by the Verde Fault. Visualizations of this type allow users to see how the geology relates
to topography, cities, and other culture.
We propose to incorporate Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
(ASTER) data as our primary remotely sensed dataset. The ASTER instrument is one of the sensors on
board the currently orbiting Terra satellite. The use of ASTER data presents several advantages over
other traditional sensors such as Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) as it has a wider wavelength range
and comparable ground resolution (See supplemental figure of ASTER data and imagery summary table
on project website).Data spanning the visible to thermal infrared wavelengths is currently being acquired
over the study area as part of the ASTER Global Mapping project (Abrams, 2000). The Geological
Remote Sensing Laboratory (GRSL) at ASU is actively involved in the ASTER Urban Environmental
Monitoring program (Ramsey et al., 1999) and as such has experience obtaining and processing ASTER
data.
A number of datasets acquired by various high- to moderate-resolution (3-20 m/pixel) airborne
sensors have also been acquired and archived at the GRSL as part of past and ongoing geologic and
ecologic studies. Overflight campaigns were conducted for specific sites throughout the study area and
include Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS), NS001 (a Thematic Mapper simulator), and
MODIS/ASTER Simulator (MASTER) data. Locations of sites for which these data are available can be
viewed at the GRSL web site (http://elwood.la.asu.edu/grsl/image.html). Complete Landsat TM coverage
of the state of Arizona (acquired in 1993) is also available through the GRSL and will be integrated into
the proposed database as value-added data products (three-band image stretches, band ratio images,
etc.).
Commercial image processing software is required for many complex operations. We will,
however, integrate a capable public domain package (MultiSpec) from Purdue University into our system.
We will also implement our web-based satellite image viewer for easy data access. The PACES Scene
Viewer (PSV) system provides users access to the LANDSAT 4 & 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) image
archive of northern Mexico and the western region of the United States. The goal of PSV is to
disseminate data about the Earth system and enable the productive use of science and technology in the
public and private sectors. The primary functions of PSV can be classified as follows: image
manipulation, image database management, and image-request management. Image manipulation
functionality includes providing the user with the ability to query the image archive, preview and view
available images, manipulate images by selecting a sub-scene, zooming, or panning and print, download,
or request images. In addition, PSV provides image database management for creating and organizing
meta-image data relating to stored satellite images. PSV provides an image-database interface that
supports the entry of meta-image data for newly acquired images into the archive by the Image
Administrator. Image-request management stores information about users who have requested that
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images be mailed to them through the postal system. The image-request interface facilitates
management of requested images for the image-request administrator, who is notified of new requests
via automatically generated e-mail messages.
We plan to extend PSV by automating tasks that are currently done manually, such as
referencing, mosaicking adjacent images, and interpreting images. This is especially important with
regard to the majority of airborne data, which are presently available only in raw format. Significant effort
will be required to calibrate, atmospherically correct, and georectify these data prior to production of data
products useful to investigators. Experts can solve these tasks, so it is desirable to use their expertise in
automating these tasks. Experts cannot always directly describe how exactly they mosaic, or how exactly
they identify features. So, to automate these tasks, we can use techniques of soft computing which have
been specifically designed for formalizing expert rules; for example:
•
if experts formulate their rules in terms of words of natural language (like "a little bit"), we
can use fuzzy logic;
•
if experts cannot formulate their rules at all, we can train neural networks to simulate an
expert.
In our previous research (reference!), we have used these techniques to develop new Fourierbased methods of automatic referencing both for individual images and for multi-spectral images. In
designing these methods, we have formulated the problem of selecting the best method as a precise
optimization problem, and came up with an analytical solution for this problem. Thus, our referencing
methods are theoretically optimal within the given class of referencing techniques.
These methods have been successfully combined with other image processing software tools
from the ENVI package. Our preliminary results show that these methods indeed provide for automatic
referencing, thus drastically reducing the need to use valuable time of geophysicist experts. In the future,
we plan to continue developing and adapting methods and techniques of soft computing for automating
and improving relevant image manipulation and analysis of remote sensing data. As a great deal of this
work is already underway at the PACES lab (UTEP), the majority of remotely-sensed data storage and
development of processing tools will take place there with support from the ASU GRSL..
Earth Science Significance of the Region of Interest
The Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range Transition Zone (Figure 1) is an area of great natural
beauty that is home to growing population centers (Phoenix, Albuquerque, El Paso, and Las Vegas).
Interaction of urban growth with the natural environment presents many planning and conservation
challenges, and is a field in which multidisciplinary interactions within the earth sciences can play an
important role. The region is also of key geologic significance, as it has recorded fundamental processes
of continental assembly, deformation, and stability over a period of almost 2 Gy. Study of these basic
tectonic processes provides important information about the degree of localization of lithospheric
deformation.
The history of recent magmatism, orogeny, and extension is primarily related to changes in the
Farallon and North American plate system. Subsurface structure generated by these events is evident
from a variety of seismic and geophysical studies, but many vital components of this complex system are
still unresolved. Continental crust of the Southwest was formed in the Proterozoic (1.7 to 1.8 Ga), as
island arcs, oceanic crust, and microcontinents became amalgamated to the southern edge of the
Archean Wyoming Craton. After stabilization of the continental crust, the area of the Colorado Plateau,
Basin and Range, and Transition Zone was relatively stable and shared a similar history through the end
of Paleozoic time. The geologic histories of these provinces diverged in the Early Mesozoic, when plate
convergence affected the western edge of North America and formed a continental arc across southern
Arizona and California. During most of the Cretaceous (~140-80 Ma), the Farallon slab was descending
steeply as evidenced from arc magmas in California and Baja California batholith belts (Dickinson, 1989).
From the late Cretaceous to the early Tertiary (~80-40˚Ma), the Laramide event shifted arc magmatism
inland, presumably due to a gradual shallowing of Farallon plate dip (Coney and Reynolds, 1977). After
cessation of Laramide processes at ~40 Ma, the southwestern U.S. continued to experience significant
effects from subhorizontal subduction, including both deformation due to compressive and/or shear
stresses and relatively low volumes of magmatism (Ward, 1991. Crustal thickening in southern Arizona
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produced regional uplift and mild deformation of the Colorado Plateau as a result of isostatic
compensation (Dickinson and Snyder, 1978; Coney and Harms, 1984). During the Oligocene (~3035˚Ma), the Pacific plate retreated westward and extensive magmatism (the Great Ignimbrite Flareup)
occurred (Ward, 1991). During this period, the Arizona Transition Zone and Colorado Plateau were
uplifted and metamorphic core complexes were formed in southern and western Arizona. During the midTertiary (~15 Ma), the angle and rate of plate convergence changed, initiating regional extension and
Basin and Range-type block faulting, the San Andreas fault system, and eventually the opening of the
Gulf of California. Further uplift of the Colorado Plateau also occurred during these period. The origin,
timing, and extent of uplift events and subsequent deformation, however, have not been determined
(Hendricks and Plescia, 1991).
We (JRA) have been addressing urban change issues in this region by forming collaborations
with colleagues across the ASU campus in the NSF-funded Central Arizona—Phoenix Long-Term
Ecological Research (CAP LTER; http://caplter.asu.edu/) project. The geology and topography of urban
regions such as Phoenix provide a primary template for the spatial distribution of materials, processes
operating at and near the surface, and the connectivity among those materials and processes. From the
ecological point of view, these relatively long time-scale studies also provide important baseline process
rates and event sequences. Our studies have focused on the Quaternary geologic history because of the
clear record preserved on the region’s piedmonts and valleys. This record is one of alternating incision
and aggradation of the debris aprons surrounding the major ranges of the region, presumably modulated
by incision and aggradation along the trunk drainages (Salt-Gila-Lower Colorado River systems). Detailed
study areas are the White Tank Mountains and the Union Hills-Cave Creek area of north Phoenix. The
western piedmont of the White Tank Mountains, located just west of the greater Phoenix area, provides a
valuable natural laboratory in which we have worked to unravel this history and quantify the rates of
gravel accumulation, landscape stability, and drainage downcutting. Our mapping and cosmogenic
dating results indicate a period of protracted deposition from about 1.5 to 1 Ma, followed by stability and
erosion, another period of accumulation at 0.8 to 0.5 Ma, and then stability and incision to the present
(Robinson, et al., 2000). These preliminary results indicate that Quaternary climate change probably has
the most important control on the distribution of materials and processes on piedmonts and thus
establishes the physical context for ecological processes here and an approach for integrating geological
and geophysical information into long-term ecological research.
Management Plan
The PI team was assembled to provide the variety of expertise needed to undertake this project.
These PI s have established ties and many have worked together in the past. The integrated data system
envisioned will require involvement of all PI s in all aspects of the project to some extent and a
considerable amount of travel between El Paso and Phoenix is planned. At each university, The PI s will
supervise graduate students, undergraduate assistants, and technical support staff who will work to
populate the database and on software development. Space limitations do not allow for the details of our
data and software development efforts to be The topics and major responsibilities are as follows; UTEP
(gravity, aeromagnetic, seismic reflection, seismic refraction, electromagnetic); ASU (heat flow, drill hole
data, geologic maps, faults, geochemistry/petrology, geochronology, seismicity, broadband seismic data)
shared (crustal strain and stress, digital elevation, remote sensing). We will work closely with the AGS
and New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Technology. In particular, Dr. Steve Richard of the AGS has
considerable experience and interest in digital geologic mapping and we will work closely with him in the
design of data entry and manipulation tools. We expect that the graduate students will be broadly trained
earth scientists who will work with data producers and users and the PIs to make informed judgements
about datasets and models for inclusion. Their research will focus on geological, geomorphological, and
geophysical projects that can be studied in the data rich zone we propose to develop. They will also
become leaders of the next generation of earth scientists who bring the tools of computing to bear on
large diverse datasets to improve our understanding of and ability to teach about great earth science
problems. We also expect that graduate students in Computer Science & Engineering will contribute to
coding the JAVA and XML tools necessary for some of the middleware we will develop to sit between the
various datasets and producers and users.
Figure 1 shows the region of our interest. It is a data rich zone that will be the focus of major
portions of Earthscope (http://www.earthscope.org/); that is, USArray will start in the southwestern US.
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The Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) will cover the region as well. Both projects their own data system
plans (IRIS and UNAVCO respectively), but do not explicitly address the rich additional data we propose
to organize. These data provide the context and augmentation of the science goals for Earthscope and
will be necessary for efficient planning and interpretation. The Tucson-Phoenix-Flagstaff corridor (Figure
1) is an ultra data rich zone that also spans the Colorado Plateau-Basin and Range transition zone. The
AGS has a major effort underway to bring together geologic data at 1:100,000 and larger scales for the
Phoenix region in particular. We will leverage our efforts with theirs by focusing on this important area
and developing our data entry and manipulation tools and compiling additional data in close collaboration
with the AGS. Note that Steve Reynolds worked for the AGS for 10 years prior to coming to ASU and
maintains excellent relations with them. Arrowsmith has had ongoing collaborations with Phil Pearthree
(AGS Quaternary Geologist and natural hazards scientist) for the last 5 years.
Project timeline
Major task
Team assembly
Central node access portal operation
Data model design
--This is a critical step in which we will apply use case analysis to
identify realistic uses for the data system for research, teaching and
planning.
Evaluate datasets and build relationships with data providers
Build tools
Assemble data system
Validate data system
Local workshops for data users training and feedback
Educational applications and testing
Production of manuscripts describing data system: data models,
data bases, and enhanced scientific understanding, regional
planning, and education, student training and outreach
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Education and Human Resources
The budget provides direct support for two students, one at each university. This student support
will be supplemented significantly by student support from other sources available to the PI s. These
students will use their role in the development of the data system as the basis for MS or PhD theses.
However, many more will be involved in software development and data acquisition, processing,
verification and analysis. Our experience shows that students greatly benefit from a project such as this in
several ways. First, they receive hands-on experience in data issues and the use of modern technology.
This experience makes the lecture material they have received come alive. Secondly, they participate in
a project that really matters in contrast to canned lab exercises. We have found this experience to create
increased interest and motivation that often lasts throughout their student careers. Thirdly, the data
processing and analysis is computer intensive so the students will hone their computer skills. Fourthly,
we have observed that interactions with students and faculty at other universities are a major lifeexperience that greatly broadens their horizons. The end result will be that several students will receive
invaluable real-world experience and technical training, and a significant number of these students will
chose to live in the southwest border region adding needed human resources with technical skills. The
student body at UTEP is over 65% Hispanic, and ASU also has a significant minority enrollment so a
substantial number of minority students will be involved.
To involve a broad spectrum of geoscientists, as well as land-use planners from government
agencies, we will convene local workshops throughout the process to build support, gain wider buy-in,
and to elicit suggestions and support from end users. We have experience running such workshops, as
part of large-scale projects, such as LTER and ACEPT (Arizona Collaboration for Excellence in the
Preparation of Teachers).
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The team assembled for this project has abundant experience combining diverse data sets and
making them available in innovative ways for educators, students, and the general public. Examples of
this are the AZGEOMAP3D site, where the new geologic map of Arizona is draped over digital
topography and rendered into QuickTime Virtual Reality movies that users can rotate to view from
different directions. The team also includes scientists with a strong track record of involvement in science
education, K-20 curriculum development, curriculum assessment, and general outreach to the school
systems and general public. We will continue this effort as part of this project.
Results from Prior NSF Support
G. Randy Keller EAR-9316868 2/1/94 - 3/31/98 An Integrated Analysis of Lithospheric Structure in
Southern Kenya: Anatomy of an Active Plume (supplements to this grant funded UTEP participation in the
POLONAISE’97 seismic experiment). G. Randy Keller served as the U. S. team leader on the Kenya Rift
International Seismic Project (KRISP) through a series of three major multidisciplinary experiments
focusing on long seismic refraction profiles. The most recent effort was undertaken in 1994 and involved
recording a seismic profile that extended from Lake Victoria to the Indian Ocean and a series of
supporting geophysical and geological studies. Silas Simiyu did a Ph.D. dissertation on integrating gravity
and seismic results on both a regional and local basis. Peter Omenda did a Ph.D. dissertation consisting
of a petrologic analysis of the Suswa volcano, which is located near the center of the rift valley. Aloyce
Tesha did a M. S. thesis on gravity studies in the Tanzanian sector of the rift. All of these students have
returned to their home countries to assume scientific leadership positions. Another African student has
finished his M. S. degree and is working on a Ph.D. To date, the 11 papers have been published or
accepted and those with the most input from the PI are:
Hay, D.E., R.F. Wendlandt, and G.R. Keller, 1995, The origin of Kenya rift Plateau-type flood phonolites: Integrated
petrologic and geophysical constraints on the evolution of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Kenya rift:
Journal of Geophysical Research, v.100, p 10,549-10,557.
Mechie, J. , G. R. Keller, C. Prodehl, M. A. Khan, and S. J. Gaciri, 1997, A model for the structure, composition, and
evolution of the Kenya rift: Tectonophysics, v. 278, p. 95-119.
Birt, C. S. , P. K. H. Maguire, M. A. Khan, H. Thybo, G. R. Keller, and J. Patel, 1997, The influence of pre-existing
structures on the evolution of the southern Kenya Rift Valley: Tectonophysics, v. 278, p.211-242.
Simiyu, S. M. and G. R. Keller, 1997, An integrated analysis of lithospheric structure across the East African Plateau
based on gravity anomalies and recent seismic studies: Tectonophysics, v. 278, p. 291-313.
Tesha, A. L., A. A. Nyblade, G. R. Keller, and D. I. Doser, 1997, Rift localization in suture-thickened crust: Evidence
from Bouguer gravity anomalies in northeastern Tanzania, East Africa: Tectonophysics, v. 278, p.315-328.
Simiyu, S. M. and G. R. Keller, 2000, An integrated geophysical analysis of the upper crust of the southern Kenya rift:
Geophysical. Journal International, accepted pending minor revision.
A supplement to this grant funded UTEP s participation in the POLONAISE 97 project. This
project was a very large international collaborative effort and the 6 papers have been published with
several more in review, and those with the most input from the PI are:
Guterch, A., M. Grad, H. Thybo, G. R. Keller, and the POLONAISE Working Group, 1999, POLONAISE ’97 International seismic experiment between Precambrian and Variscan Europe in Poland: Tectonophysics, v. 314,
p. 101-121.
Keller, G. R., and R. D. Hatcher, Jr., 1999, Comparison of the lithospheric structure of the Appalachian - Ouachita
orogen and Paleozoic orogenic belts in Europe: Tectonophysics, v. 314, p. 43-68.
Jensen, S. L., T. Janik, Hans Thybo, and POLONAISE Profile 1 Working Group (G. R. Keller, U. S. Team Leader),
1999, Seismic structure of the Paleozoic platform along POLONAISE ’97 profile P1 in northwestern Poland:
Tectonophysics, v. 314, p. 123-143.
Ramon Arrowsmith EAR-9805319 7/1/98--6/30/00, Active faults in zones of continental collision:
Quaternary deformation in the Pamir--Tien Shan region, central Asia. In collaboration with German
scientists at the University of Potsdam, we have characterized Quaternary faulting in the Pamir--Tien
Shan convergence zone using field, geochronologic, reflection seismic, and remotely sensed data. Of
relevance to the current proposal, we have developed a 6.9 Gb GIS/remote sensing database for the
Pamir/Alai region that incorporates 26 Corona satellite imagery negatives (all are scanned,10 are
rectified), 33 paper format topography maps (all are scanned and georeferenced), 2 Landsat TM scenes
(all are georeferenced and projected),5 regional geology maps (all are scanned), 60 air photos (all are
scanned),and 6 detailed geology maps (all are scanned, digitized, and in GIS). Also see our web site
illustrating seamless data integration in this project: http://activetectonics.la.asu.edu/Pamir/movies.html.
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One MS and one Ph.D. have been prepared on this project, and several other students involved. To date,
the following papers have been published, accepted, or are in prep.
Strecker, M.R., Hilley, G. E., Arrowsmith, J R., Differential structural and geomorphic mountain-front evolution in an
active continental collision zone: the NW Pamir, southern Kyrgyzstan, in preparation for submission to
Geophysical Journal International.
Arrowsmith, J R., M. R. Strecker, G. E. Hilley , Large Holocene Surface Ruptures Along the Main Pamir Thrust in the
Pamir-Alai Region of Southern Kyrgyzstan, in preparation for submission to Bulletin of Seismological Society of
America.
Hilley, G. E., Arrowsmith, J R., Strecker, M. R., Mechanisms for the association of large drainage basins with
structural steps in compressional and extensional tectonic settings, submitted to Geology.
Arrowsmith, J R., and Strecker, M. R., Seismotectonic range-front segmentation and mountain-belt growth in the
Pamir-Alai region, Kyrgyzstan (India-Eurasia collision zone), Geological Society of America Bulletin, 111, 11,
1,665--1,683, 1999.
William Stefanov. Prior funding from NSF has been in the form of graduate student and postdoctoral
funding from NSF grant # 9714833 Land —Use Change and Ecological Processes in an Urban Ecosystem
of the Sonoran Desert to Arizona State University under the NSF Long Term Ecological Research
program. This grant has an initial six-year period (1997 — 2003) with extension possible. Dissertation:
Stefanov, W.L., (2000) Investigation of Hillslope Processes and Land Cover Change Using Remote
Sensing and Laboratory Spectroscopy. Ph.D. Dissertation, Arizona State University, Tempe.
Matthew Fouch. PI Fouch is a new Arizona State University faculty member with no prior funding due to
a recent graduation date (1999) and a privately funded postdoctoral fellowship. His Ph.D. research at
Brown was completely funded by NSF grants (Karen Fischer, PI), and several publications were
produced from this work. His Carnegie Institution of Washington postdoctoral fellowship was fully funded
from CIW resources.
Steven Reynolds EAR-9907733 1/1/99 — 12/31/2001, The Hidden Earth — Visualization of geologic
features and their subsurface geometry (1999-2001). Reynolds is the lead PI in this project to develop
innovative multimedia materials to identify, increase, and assess college students spatial visualization
skills. The project has developed web-based, graphics-rich versions of standard spatial visualization
tests, such as the cube-rotation test and the imbedded-figures test, and piloted the use of these
instruments on several hundred college geology students. Preliminary results, surprisingly, are that time is
a more important variable in student performance than inherent spatial-visual ability. The project also has
developed very innovative QuickTime Virtual Reality (QTVR) object movies, such as virtual structural
block diagrams that users can rotate and make more or less transparent to observe the interior geometry
of layers, faults, and folds. Other QTVR object movies have geologic maps draped over digital
topography, letting students rotate the terrain to begin to observe and visualize the inherently 3D nature
of geologic maps and structures. There are also QTVR object movies illustrating how contours relate to
topography, including movies that permit users to raise and lower a water plane in successive steps, each
coinciding with a contour. Since the primary materials developed in this project are web-related, most of
the publications are on the web.
Smith, M.J., Piburn, M., and Reynolds, S.J., 1999, Research for Earth Science Learning: Geotimes (Aug), p.27-28.
Reynolds, S.J., and Proctor, S.H., 1999, Multimedia simulations of field geology and their assessment: Geological
Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 31, p. A446.
McAuliffe, C., Hall-Wallace, M., Piburn, M., Reynolds, S., and Leedy, D., 2000, Visualization and Earth Science
Education: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v. 32, p. A-266.
Spatial Visualization Tests: http://geology2.asu.edu/~reynolds/hiddenearth/
Virtual Structural Diagrams: http://geology.asu.edu/~reynolds/bozeman.htm
Arizona Geology 3D: http://geology.asu.edu/~reynolds/azgeo3d/azgeo3d_home.htm
3D Geologic Maps: http://geology.asu.edu/~reynolds/geomap3d/geomap3d_home.htm
Gallery of Virtual Topography: http://geology.asu.edu/~reynolds/topo_gallery/topo_home.htm
Geologic Scenery Images: http://geology.asu.edu/~reynolds/geologic_scenery/geologic_scenery_images.htm
Creation of a Geospatial Data System for the Transition Between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provinces
(Geoinformatics in Action)
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