Methods of determining the orientations of bedrock fracture systems in southwestern Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7254030

Bench, B M; Diamond, W P; McCulloch, C M

This report describes photolineaments obtained from stereoscopic examination of vertical aerial photographs and by the Ronchi grating study of aerial photoindex sheets. The photolineaments are compared with the trends of oriented fracture systems procured by measuring the compass direction of joints in bedrock. The relative reliability of the methods is shown and the results presented in graphical, tabular, and written form. Analyses of field measurements of strikes of bedrock joints in the project area indicate for the most part two intersecting sets of major joints oriented N 76/sup 0/ W--N 15/sup 0/ E, and N 57/sup 0/ W--N 27/sup 0/ E. The analyses of lineaments determined by stereoscopic examination of aerial photographs show dominant trends of lineament zones of weakness to be an average of N 65/sup 0/ W--N 20/sup 0/ E. Analysis of lineaments found by Ronchi grid viewing of aerial photoindex sheets indicate dominant trends of N 70/sup 0/ W--N 27/sup 0/ E. The three methods give similar findings and verify the work of previous authors. The Ronchi grid method is a useful guide, but it cannot be substituted for the two more painstaking methods.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7254030
• Report Number(s): BM-RI-8217
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
AERIAL MONITORING
CENTRAL REGION
COAL DEPOSITS
DATA
FAILURES
FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FISSURES
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
INFORMATION
MEASURING METHODS
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
ORIENTATION
PENNSYLVANIA
PHOTOGRAPHY
RELIABILITY
RESOURCES
TOPOLOGICAL MAPPING
TRANSFORMATIONS
USA
WEST VIRGINIA