Satellite & Space Missions

Biography

Biography: Lucie Novakova

Abstract

Brittle tectonics paleostress analysis utilizes information recorded on faults mostly in mezzo-scale to determine stress regime in macro-scale. Data coverage as well as relationship between mezzo- and macro-scale faults in a studied area (typically tens to hundreds square kilometres) are essential to obtain reliable results. In addition analysis of fault’s orientation data in different scales might not only unearth possible segmentation of a studied area but also help to delimitate it. Several methods can be deployed to learn orientation data of macro-faults. Geological or tectonic maps and remote sensing data are the most obvious sources. Geology and tectonics in particular provide a framework in which natural terrain tends to be formed. While maps usually describe faults from certain dimension as supposed by the geologist, digital elevation model provides subjectively unbiased dataset with macro-faults demonstrated as lineaments. Geological map and lineament orientation analysis of the area provides necessary structural information for following brittle tectonics features field survey to cover the area evenly. In our paleostress project we applied image tracing techniques on the ASTER GDEM to determine main orientation of terrain lineaments. Subsequently, according to orientation of the terrain lineaments we defined five different areas. As compared with the geology map, high degree of correspondence was found. In addition, also field mapped orientation of the mezzo faults has been found rather consistent suggesting the mapped mezzo-faults are related to the macro-faults as expected. The finding also suggests local stress regimes recorded over the studied area represent stress regimes in the macro-scale.