Applications of Sentinel-2 remotely sensed data to assist stratigraphic subdivision of a paleogene carbonate sequence, UAE, Oman

Abstract

The processed SENTINEL-2 data was used successfully to reveal the optimum ratios for discrimination between carbonate lithologies. Excellent discrimination is obtained with pronounced green, pink, blue, white and brown false colours on enhanced multispectral images, for the sequences in the southern part of Jabal Hafit. The Lower Eocene Rus Formation is characterized by false white and pale pink colours representing the upper parts of the formation (foraminiferal stylonodular limestones), false orange-brown colours correlate with underlying coralgal gastropodal thick-bedded limestones. The Middle Eocene Dammam Formation begins with a distinctive false green layer (representing brownish carbonate mudstones) followed by two thick false-reddish pink sequences representing strong stylolitic to stylonodular coralgal and foraminiferal limestones; separated by a false bluish poorly outcropping dark muddy limestone. The Upper Eocene Dammam Formation is characterized by false bright green (brown coarse calcarenites), false brown (calcarenites) and falsebluish (algal calcarenites and brown mudstone interbeds) colours.