Reconstructing the Late Cenozoic Retreat of the Proto-Paratethys Sea in the SW Tajik Basin Using Integrated ASTER Mapping and Field Validation
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Abstract
The Tajik Basin holds one of Central Asia’s most complete geological archives of how the Proto-Paratethys Sea retreated and gave way to continental landscapes during the Cenozoic. Yet the spatial continuity of these Paleogene–Neogene formations remains only partly understood. In this study, we combined satellite-based spectral analysis with detailed fieldwork to better map and interpret the Ganjina–Khuroson area in southwestern Tajikistan. Using Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data, we applied tailored band-ratio composites (R:2/5, G:3N, B:5/6 and R:2/1, G:3N, B:5/7) to distinguish marine carbonates from continental sandstones and clays. The Maximum Likelihood Classification achieved an overall accuracy of 90.72% and a Kappa value of 0.87, demonstrating high reliability. Field spectroscopy and geological verification confirmed excellent agreement with observed lithologies. The results reveal a clear shift from fossil-rich marine limestones to oxidized continental deposits, marking the final regression of the Proto-Paratethys Sea. This integrated approach shows how multispectral data, when validated in the field, can illuminate the history of marine withdrawal and sedimentary transformation across the Tajik Basin.
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