Roughness of Hawaiian volcanic terrains

[1] We performed analyses of topographic variation (surface roughness) using a new 2-D mapping method which shows that understanding the relationship between data resolution, Hurst exponent, y intercept, RMS deviation, and cell size is important for assessing surface processes. We use this new method to assess flows at six field sites in Kilauea caldera, Hawaii, using three data sets at different resolutions, TOPSAR (10 m/pixel), airborne lidar (1 m/pixel), and tripod-mounted lidar (0.02–0.03 m/pixel). The flows studied include ponded pahoehoe flows, compound pahoehoe flows, and jumbled, slabby pahoehoe. The 2-D quantification of surface roughness for the Kilauea lava flows indicates that features formed during emplacement and modification of the flows exhibit statistically distinct roughness signatures. The 2-D method provides a tool for unit mapping based on surface roughness. Key findings indicate that the new 2-D method provides more robust results than 1-D methods for surface roughness because of larger 2-D sample sizes and the removal of 1-D directional bias leading to a reduction in error. Furthermore, data set resolution relative to the scale of the features under study is important to consider when designing a 2-D surface roughness study. Future applications to topographic data sets from Mars will provide information on flow emplacement conditions and spatial and temporal evolution of volcanic provinces on Mars.