THE DISTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENT GLACIAL LANDSCAPES ON SOUTHERN JAMESON LAND, EAST GREENLAND, ACCORDING TO LANDSAT THEMATIC MAPPER DATA

Four geologic units previously mapped in southern Jameson Land, East G reenland (Funder 1978, 1990) are identifiable on a False colour compos ite of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) spectral bands TM5, TM4 and TMI. T he area covered by the Weichselian glaciations has a fresh glacial mor phology and a less developed drainage system than the older landscape. The Weichselian glaciers reached more than 200 m a.s.l. in the west, but only about 100 m a.s.l. in the east. A contextual analysis (local frequency and local orientation) was included in a Maximum Likelihood classification (M-L) to map the extent of the Weichselian glaciations. Deposits correlated with the Saalian Scoresby Sund glaciation are fou nd on the central plateaux of Jameson Land. Landsat TM geological mapp ing of the surficial distribution of deposits from the Scoresby Sund g laciation and of weathered Jurassic sandstone or deposits with a high percentage of such sandstone was done using a supervised Maximum Likel ihood procedure. Except for the mapping of the extent of the Late Weic hselian Flakkerhuk glaciation, the Maximum Likelihood boundaries betwe en units are in general agreement with earlier mapping or with the vis ual interpretation of the false colour composite. A strong vegetationa l influence, and similar spectral reflectance from deposits of differe nt age due to similarities in lithological composition reduced the pos sibility of an independent remote sensing approach. Taking already exi sting general geological knowledge and chronology into account allowed successful Landsat TM geological mapping.