Abstract

The identification of lineament patterns on the continental segments of the earth has been simplified with the advent of various types of high altitude imagery. When investigated in the field the vast majority of lineaments exhibit little or no displacement. It is suggested that these lineaments, properly identified, represent zones of structural weakness. Due to the unique characteristics of side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) the ability to detect linear features is greatly enhanced.

Studies of regional extent indicate that there are at least two types of lineaments: 1) regional lineaments that transect major structural and stratigraphic features without significantly changing direction (if enough data are available, these lineaments may be categorized into two orthogonal pairsets), 2) local or boundary lineaments that are spatially related to non-regional structural and stratigraphic features.

By mathematically filtering the regional from the boundary lineaments the latter may be used to identify the potential presence of subsurface structural and stratigraphic anomalies. These anomalies may be detected even in areas where there is extensive surficial overburden, such as glacial till or alluvium. The application of lineament analysis in the oil and gas and mining industries has enormous potential.