Geologic interpretations of Seasat-A radar images and Landsat MSS images of a portion of the southern Appalachian Plateau, Virginia, Kentucky, West Virginia

Seasat-A, a NASA oceanographic research satellite acquired high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SA.R) images of a portion of the Appalachian Plateau during its brief mission in the summer of 1978. Interpretation maps of surface drainage patterns, surface texture patterns and surface lineament patterns were made from the Seasat-A SAR images of southwestern Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southwestern West Virginia. These maps are compared with similar data derived from Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) images of the same area. In regions of low topographic relief the Seasat-A SAR images are superior to the Landsat MSS images for drainage and lineament mapping. This is due to the higher image resolution of the Seasat radar imagery; also the inherent illumination geometry of the Seasat-A SAR provides better detection of subtle topographic features. In. areas of high topographic relief, the Seasat-A SAR images are distorted because of the radar layover effect, but still the Seasat-A SAR is as good as the Landsat MSS images for geologic interpretations. Field checking of a prominent lineament located on the Pine Mountain thrust plate of southwestern Virginia has confirmed the existence of a previously unreported fault 16 km long, with both strike-slip and vertical displacement. A previously unmapped thrust fault was also recognized in the field. These two faults are named herein. The thrust fault shows 30m of stratigraphic throw.