Automatically Extraction of Lineaments from DEM

Faults, which role greatly in the generation and spatial distribution of mineral resources, are always related to the lineament interpreted from remote sensing data. This paper introduces an improved segment tracing algorithm (STA) to interpret lineament from remote sensing data (DEM) in Gejiu tin mine, China. In this analysis, a lineament is treated as a straight line in the horizontal plane and its dip is not considered. A fault is created by connecting several lineaments, which appear to belong to the same system, using the criteria of distance and directional angle. The proposed method was applied to mines in Gejiu tin mine, a area of Triassic limestone with tin mine. A correlation exists between interpreted fault orientations and (1) the predominant azimuth of joints appearing on the tunnel walls of a tin deposit in the limestone area and (2) the orientation of main tin deposits. Furthermore, the proposed method is capable of calculating the intersection pattern of fractures at an arbitrary level below the ground surface.