Erosion Resistance Index (ERI) to Assess Surface Stability in Desert Environments
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
A new spectral index—erosion resistance index (ERI)—was developed to assess erosion risks in desert landscapes. The index was developed by applying trigonometry to the combination of the green/red band-ratio and the red/near infrared band-ratio from very high spatial resolution imagery. The resultant ERI maps showed spatially cohesive distributions of high and low index values across the study areas. High index values were observed over areas that were resistant to erosion (such as desert pavement and dense vegetation), while low index values overlapped with areas likely dominated by loose sandy soils, such as stream beds and access roads. Although further investigation is warranted, this new index, ERI, shows promise for the assessment of erosion risks in desert regions.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 1237865
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Letters, Vol. 12, Issue 11; ISSN 1545-598X
- Publisher:
- IEEE
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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