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Landsat digital enhancements for lineament detection

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Environmental Geology and Water Sciences

Abstract

Identification of lineaments has important ramifications in geology because lineaments can signify zones of both hazardous potential and economically valuable environments The synoptic view of local and regional lineament patterns by Landsat is a useful mapping technique in areas considered to be well mapped as well as in poorly mapped areas Image enhancement of digitally constructed Landsat images increases contrast and sharpness between geologic features and improves the recognition of subtle differences

Five enhancement techniques are applied to Landsat digital data for lineament detection (1) mean value of all four bands, (2) principal components, (3) band ratio, (4) histogram equalization, and (5) high-pass digital filtering Of the five enhancement techniques evaluated, the principal components analysis identified the greatest number of lineaments and the greatest total length of the lineaments. All five techniques identified a significant amount of unique lineaments, which were not found by any other technique. Unique lineaments identified by each technique are combined through a composite process yielding a lineament interpretation which exceeds the detection capability of the principal components interpretation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Oklahoma State University, 74078, Stillwater, Oklahoma

    Stephen J. Walsh

  2. Lockheed Engineering, Inc, 89109, Las Vegas, Nevada

    F. Mynar II

Authors
  1. Stephen J. Walsh
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  2. F. Mynar II
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Walsh, S.J., Mynar, F. Landsat digital enhancements for lineament detection. Environ. Geol. Water Sci 8, 123–128 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02509898

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02509898

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