Mentor: Mark Krekeler, Ph.D.

The Madison Limestone is a major stratigraphic group of Mississippian age limestone with its
distribution ranging in the Rocky Mountains and the great plains from northern Canada down
to New Mexico. It has major outcrop exposure in Montana, Wyoming, and the surrounding
area. It is primarily composed of bluish grey limestone and dolomite. The Madison
Limestone has significant geologic importance, being a reservoir rock for oil, hydrocarbons,
natural gases and forms aquifers in the region. The Madison Limestone is exposed in
complex terrains which serve as recreational use areas as well. A major issue in outdoor
environments is missing persons. This is an issue relating to hikers and the outdoor
recreation community, and crime. Lost hikers and missing people create challenging
emergencies often with limited time and spatial contexts. Hyperspectral remote
sensing/image spectroscopy (HRS/IS) is an approach that can be used to search for lost
hikers and missing persons, provided a useful spectral library is available. Detailed
reflective spectral data on the Madison Limestone substrate can greatly improve search and
rescue efforts and aid in remote sensing of people and human materials such as their
clothes or hiking gear against the Madison group outcropping in this region. Madison
Limestone samples were collected in northwestern Montana. Multiple surfaces on 10 of
these samples light reflection were measured with an Analytical Spectral Device (ASD)
spectroradiometer, and 6 most representative samples were analyzed using scanning
electron microscopy (SEM) analysis and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis.
Representative spectral data was also obtained on items such as clothing, backpacks, and
geologic field tools. Variation in Madison Limestone reflective spectra is largely explained by
variable amounts of Fe-Mn-oxide coatings. Items that may be associated with lost hikers
such as clothing and backpacks are generally spectrally distinct from the Madison
Limestone. Results from these analyses provide search and rescue teams with valuable
HRS/IS contexts and can lead to quicker, more efficient rescue practices. Data may also
improve searches for humans in multiple contexts including crime scene investigations.

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