Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) images of basaltic and sedimentary deposits in the southwest Cima volcanic field, California

The southwestern part of the Cima volcanic field in the Mojave National Monument, California, contains many of the youngest basaltic cinder cones and lava flows in the field (Wilshire and others, 2002). In 2014 the Hyperspectral Thermal Emission Spectrometer (HyTES) collected a swath of data across this area. This summary describes the HyTES instrument, data, and images, and compares two standard images to the geologic map and aerial photographs. In aerial photographs (visible spectrum) and HyTES images (thermal infrared spectrum), there are very good correlations of features such as pahoehoe and a`a flows (smoother or rougher surfaces, respectively), channelized features such as levees and flow-induced arcuate ridges across the channels, some flows with rafted parts of the source cinder cone, and different types of sedimentary deposits. The comparison is visual and qualitative; however, it shows the potential for applying hyperspectral data in a quantitative characterization and identification of lava flows and cones, sedimentary deposits, and locally exposed bedrock gneiss.