Investigation of Pastos Grandes (Bolivia) volcanic features with RADARSAT

The volcanic terrain in and around Villa Alota and Cerro Caquella is unique in several aspects: very dry desert like surface features with almost no vegetation, well preserved volcanic flows and tuff deposits, and extensive evaporite lakes between volcanoes. In many aspects, it is an ideal place for investigating backscattering effects of various types of volcanic flows and eruptives. Several scenes of RADARSAT standard mode image data were acquired over the study area as a part of GlobeSAR 2 program. As the first step of detailed investigation, field work was carried out and also digital elevation model (DEM) was generated using RADARSAT data. Preliminary investigation indicate that the DEM generated using RADARSAT was very useful for collapsed caldera and associated small active volcanoes. Detailed calculation of /spl sigma//sup 0/ and scattering model study is in progress.