615 
Symposium on Remote Sensing for Resources Development and Environmental Management / Enschede / August 1986 
Application of MEIS-II multispectral airborne data and CIR 
photography for the mapping of surficial geology and 
geomorphology in the Chatham area, Southwest Ontario, Canada 
A.B.Kesik 
Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 
H.George & M.M.Dusseault 
Department of Earth Science, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada 
ABSTRACT: The surficial geology of the Chatham area in southwestern Ontario has been manned using B&W 
nanchromatic, CIR air photographs and MEIS-II airborne, multispectral scanner imagery. The study shows that 
the application of multisensor and multispectral data offers significant advantages for the enhanced 
discrimination of surficial materials geomornhological features and aggregate exploration. 
1 INTRODUCTION 
The manning of surficial geologv was promoted bv a 
shortage of aggregates in the rapidly developing 
Windsor-Toronto corridor in Southwestern Ontario. A 
multisensor approach was adopted for effective man 
ning in view of difficulties experienced by previous 
investigators in determining geologic unit boundaries 
with the aid of onlv black and white nanchromatic 
air photographs (E. Sado, oers. comm., 1984). 
Figure 1. 
Figure 1. Location of the study Area in 
southwestern Ontario, Canada 
The objectives of the studv were: 
1. To compare photo-geological interpretations of 
nanchromatic and CIR air photographs with that 
obtained from digital analysis of multispectral data 
(MEIS-II). 
2. To explore different models for Quaternary 
sedimentation likely to lead to the explanation of 
the origin of coarse aggregates within the study 
area based on a revised interpretation of the 
surficial geology. 
The fundamental hvnothesis was that multisensor 
remote sensing and related image analysis could 
provide an improved means by which scattered coarse 
fluvioglacial sediments, known to occur at shallow 
depths below the ground surface, could be detected 
and delineated. 
2 STUDY AREA 
The studv area is 5 km east of Chatham, in SW 
Ontario and comprises 160 sq km of the physiographic 
unit known as Chatham Flats (Chapman and Putnam, 
1984). Bedrock consists of Upper Devonian shale and 
occurs at a depth of approximately 23 m. The 
Ouaternary sediments overlying bedrock are associated 
with continental glaciation - till, proglacial sands 
and gravels and glacio-lacustrine sediments, mostly 
silts and clays. Deltaic sands are usually present 
as a discontinuous blanket at the ground surface. 
Potentially usable fluvioglacial sediments are 
masked bv fine textured glacio-lacustrine and 
deltaic sediments making aggregate exploration 
difficult. 
3 DATA ACDUISITION 
The remote sensing data used for this study included 
the following’ 
1. Black and white nanchromatic air photographs, 
1:15,840 taken during late summer. 1978. 
2. Colour Infrared (CIR) air photographs, 
1:26,000 taken during Sprirg (May 85). 
3. Multispectral scanner data from MEIS-II (Till 
et al. 1983) taken in May 1985. Spectral ranges 
of the channels are as follows; 
Table 1. MEIS-II imagery specifications 
Band Identifers and spectral CH00: 522-735 
ranges of filters CHOI: 793-893 
(nanometers) CH02 : 626-703 
CH03: 508-601 
CH04: 542-605 
CH05: 456-518 
CH06: 751-787 
CH07: 613-687 
Nominal ground resolution 2.77 metres 
Date and Time of Imagery May 22, 1985 
Acquisition 10:43-11:20 AM 
Soil sampling for textural and moisture content 
analysis were collected during the time of 
acquisition of imagery in May 1985. 
4 METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH 
4.1 Visual analysis 
The B&W, panchromatic and CIR photographs have been 
subjected to conventional air photo analysis using 
an Old Delf Scanning Sterescope, and a Zoom Stereo 
scope. Analysis was supported by the ancillary 
information (maps, reports,relevant literature), and 
by field studies of surficial geologv and geomorphol 
ogy.