Abstract
There are currently no reliable methods to determine rock physical and mechanical properties that are not labor or resource intensive, especially at the scale of volcanoes. Using mineralogical-physical-mechanical relationships, we suggest it is possible to derive rock properties from rapid, non-invasive reflectance spectroscopy measurements. To demonstrate this potential, we correlate the physical and mechanical properties of variously altered andesitic volcanic rocks to laboratory reflectance spectroscopy using statistical analysis. Several rock properties, including density, connected porosity, strength, magnetic susceptibility, and elasticity, correlate with reflectance spectroscopy in both the visible and short-wave infrared parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. We attribute these correlations to the presence and degradation (i.e. weathering or hydrothermal alteration) of iron-bearing minerals such as pyroxene, magnetite, and pyrite, which reflect changes to both rock properties and reflectance spectroscopy measurements. Results support the use of transfer functions to estimate rock properties directly from reflectance spectroscopy. Ultimately, aerial or satellite imaging spectroscopy could be used to create geotechnical maps at volcano scale.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 107393 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of volcanology and geothermal research |
Volume | 420.2021 |
Issue number | December |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 9 Nov 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright: © 2021 The AuthorsKeywords
- Transfer function
- Andesite
- Hydrothermal alteration
- Weathering
- Iron-bearing mineral phases
- Clay
- Short wave infrared
- Visible spectrum
- Reflectance spectroscopy