PHOTO-INTERPRETATION STUDIES OF DESERT BASINS IN NORTHERN AFRICA.
Abstract
The study appraises the feasibility of photogeologic methods for estimating nature of surface materials, moisture conditions, relief, and other characteristics of desert basin floors in the Saharan region, using medium-scale Tri-Metrogon photography, in black-and-white. A frame of reference is provided by studies on playas in western U. S., by reports on widely-scattered field observations on African basins, and by available literature on regional geology and geography. Interpretation is based partly on direct evidence from what is seen on photos, and partly on indirect evidence deduced from the geologic context. Results are of a reconnaissance nature, informative as to general characteristics, but more limited with respect to specifics because of the scale, type, and quality of the photos. For more definitive interpretation, supplementary sources of data are required. One general conclusion, however, is that the dry, firm type of playa surface well known in western U. S. is uncommon in the Sahara, and has been recognized only in western part of that region. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0689408
Entities
People
- H. T. U. Smith
Organizations
- University of Massachusetts Amherst